Why "Conversation"?

Two participants converse at the "Hope" pop-up

After the "Untold" pop-up I held in collaboration with a Museology graduate class at the University of Washington, one of my colleagues asked me why I use the word "conversation," versus another term, such as "dialogue".  While this can seem like an exercise in wordplay, there are actually some very important distinctions that I make about the word "conversation."

2) Why I use the term "conversation"

At first it might seem like splitting hairs, but the word "conversation" has a very distinct definition.  According to Ann C. Baker, Patricia J. Jensen, and David A. Kolb (2002) in "Learning and Conversation," a chapter of the book Conversational Learning: An Experiential Approach to Knowledge Creation: "Contemporary research on learning and meaning making in conversation is expanding in many fields: philosophy, information systems, management, organizational behavior, psychology, and sociology. One major line of this work is focused around the concept of dialogue, while another tradition is focused on the concept of conversation. While there is much agreement between those two traditions and many researchers use the terms interchangeably, there are, in fact, important differences" (9-10).   

The authors go on to describe the different etymology of these words and how they are used in contemporary practice. Their research reveals that "conversation" has its roots mainly in the communal and emotional, while "dialogue" has its roots mainly in the concept of conflict, of opposing voices in search for truth. Their research also reveals that "conversation" is used mainly by those focused on human understanding and human experience rather than on abstract knowledge about ideas, whereas "dialogue" is used mainly by those who see social interaction as an intellectual process of refining knowledge (10-11).

So, this is the place where I am coming from - that conversation is a "process of reaching interpersonal understanding where all participants' contributions are equally valued," versus a rhetorical process of defining one's self through conflict (10-11).   

Main takeaway for museum practice

The main idea I am taking away from this reflection is that when creating conversational spaces, it seems important to be clear and transparent about what kind of social interaction is being encouraged. Those who show up to a conversational event fired up for a good old fashioned debate may be uncomfortable with the casual, communal setting of a conversational space.  And likewise, those who arrive expecting to have a conversation may feel uncomfortable if they enter a combative space.   

References

• Baker, A.C., Jensen, P.J., Kolb, D.A. (2002). Learning and Conversation. Conversational Learning: An Experiential Approach to Knowledge Creation (1-14). Westport, CT: Quorum Books.