Normative Case Studies

Normative case studies are brief scenarios that provide a framework for group discussions, encouraging participants to contemplate multiple perspectives on difficult topics.

Developed by Meira Levinson, the Juliana W. and William Foss Thompson Professor of Education and Society at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, normative case studies are used around the globe to help people from all walks of life discuss challenging ethical situations in a thought-provoking and inclusive way.

Normative case studies do not lead participants to a single correct answer or a specific “aha!” moment. Rather, they are tools used to facilitate conversations about challenging topics and dilemmas so that participants understand and appreciate others’ perspectives and deepen their capacity and inclination for reflection in a way that expands their thinking.

Currently available case studies are A Forced Reckoning, What’s in a Name?, A Fork in the “Rhodes”,  and The Duty of Universities and the Right to the City: Balancing Campus Expansion with Community Impacts.