#  Research 

 



       ![David Kidd presents research at our civil discourse conference](/sites/g/files/omnuum9911/files/styles/hwp_28_10__1920x685/public/2025-06/D%20Kidd%20Lab%20Hero%20%282%29.png?itok=mZfXcQvu) 

 

 



 

 



 

One of the aims of the Research & Design Studio is to bring together scholars, practitioners, and students to critically examine—and actively shape—the evolving landscape of civil discourse in higher education and democratic life.

Grounded in interdisciplinary methods and a commitment to practical impact, this work investigates the assumptions, tensions, and contested meanings behind the call for "civil discourse." Rather than treat dialogue as a self-evident good, our work asks: what do we mean by civil discourse, for whom, and to what end?



 

##  Our Goals 

 



 ### Map Competing Definitions

We surface the diverse expectations and implicit theories that different stakeholders bring to discourse—across classrooms, campuses, and civic life.



 

 ### Build Practical Tools

We design typologies, scenario-based teaching resources, and assessment frameworks to support ethical dialogue, intellectual risk-taking, and democratic learning.



 

 ### Advance Theoretical Insight

We contribute to scholarly debates by interrogating how discourse functions under conditions of polarization, zero-sum thinking, and democratic strain.



 

 ### Create Public Goods

Our outputs—from white papers to teaching toolkits—are designed to serve both academic and practitioner communities.



 

  

 

 

 

##  What We're Working On 

 



 ### Definition & Framing

Research that maps the underlying assumptions, contested meanings, and plural frameworks attached to civil discourse.



 

 ### Evaluation & Measurement

Development and curation of assessment tools to help researchers, educators, and institutions evaluate what "successful" discourse looks like across different models and contexts.



 

 ### Strategic Field Building

Convenings, public scholarship, and collaborative publications that seek to define and deepen the field of civil discourse as a domain of inquiry and practice.



 

  

 

 

 

##  Fellows Program 

A cornerstone of this work is the [**Civil Discourse Fellows**](https://www.ethics.harvard.edu/civil-discourse-fellows) initiative. Each year, the Center selects a small cohort of emerging scholars—graduate students and early-career researchers—whose projects explore issues related to navigating difference. Fellows contribute to research, receive mentorship and funding, and present their work in different venues. Their research plays a vital role in shaping the Center's intellectual life and extending its impact across disciplines and institutions.

We welcome collaboration from anyone rethinking the practice, pedagogy, or politics of dialogue in today's fractured world.



 

###  Meet our current Civil Discourse Fellows 

 



  [### Maya Cohen

 ](/people/maya-cohen) 

      ![Maya Cohen](/sites/g/files/omnuum9911/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-04/Maya%20Cohen.jpg?itok=FxteP_2d) 

 

 

 

   [### Jason D'Cruz

 ](/people/jason-dcruz) 

      ![Jason D'Cruz](/sites/g/files/omnuum9911/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-07/Jason%20D%27Cruz.png?itok=ibabbXuG) 

 

 

 

   [### Cassie Finley

 ](/people/cassie-finley) 

      ![Cassie Finley](/sites/g/files/omnuum9911/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2026-01/Cassie%20Finley.png?itok=jtr5Mmcq) 

 

 

 

   [### Anthony Holdier

 ](/people/anthony-holdier) 

      ![Anthony G. Holdier](/sites/g/files/omnuum9911/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2026-03/Anthony%20G.%20Holdier.png?itok=bgUmJFMD) 

 

 

 

   [### Aundrey Page

 ](/people/aundrey-page-0) 

      ![Drey Page](/sites/g/files/omnuum9911/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2026-01/Drey%20Page.png?itok=gJ8MC_vP) 

 

 

 

   [### Brian Palmiter

 ](/people/brian-palmiter) 

      ![Brian Palmiter](/sites/g/files/omnuum9911/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2026-01/Brian%20Palmiter.png?itok=Q2n4PjUa) 

 

 

 

   [### Michaila Peters

 ](/people/michaila-peters) 

      ![Michaila Peters](/sites/g/files/omnuum9911/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2026-03/Michaila%20Peters.png?itok=ybNP1ZAW) 

 

 

 

   [### Hanna Sistek

 ](/people/hanna-sistek) 

      ![Hanna Sistek](/sites/g/files/omnuum9911/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2026-03/Hanna%20Sistek.png?itok=z-Tea1FN) 

 

 

 

   [### Matthew Willis

 ](/people/matthew-willis) 

      ![Matthew Willis](/sites/g/files/omnuum9911/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2026-01/Matthew%20Willis.png?itok=8w82EE2H) 

 

 

 

  

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