Reflections on promoting open discussion forums at university
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Date
2007
Authors
Van der Merwe, J. C.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Department of Communication Science, University of the Free State
Abstract
The Department of Philosophy at the University of the Free State recently presented an
open discussion forum on the following topic: Imagine a truly South African university.
Many people reacted with scepticism towards this initiative, suspecting that there had
to be some party-political agenda behind it. The idea that one may, and even should,
address political issues relating to the nature and functioning of the university in an
intellectual and academic fashion seemed somehow inconceivable to many. At first it
seemed as if these reactions were merely the result of a weak political culture on
campus, but it became evident that it was in fact the lack of a culture of dialogue that
constituted the major obstacle in the way of genuine interactive communication. This
article will explore some of the possible reasons for this state of affairs. The first part
of the article focuses on the possible detrimental effect that certain paradigms of higher
education - with their one-sided focus on vocationalism - have on critical thinking. In
the second part, the communicative dynamics of the forum will be analysed as a theme
of interest in itself. In conclusion, the importance of cultivating an appropriate attitude
that meets the ethos of constructive communication for such discussion forums will be
emphasised.
Description
Keywords
Discussion forums, South African university, Communication
Citation
Van der Merwe, J. C. (2007). Reflections on promoting open discussion forums at university. Communitas, 12, 19-31.