Brokered Dialogue

Brokered Dialogue is a participatory film-based method for studying complex health and social issues by engaging participants in dialogue and collective critical thinking. Dialogue is a central feature of social life and a crucial means by which we come to understand one another. There are many situations where dialogue may be absent, difficult or contentious. Co-developed by Dr. Janet Parsons and Dr. James Lavery (Emory University, Atlanta), Brokered Dialogue employs participatory filmmaking and storytelling to explore diverse perspectives on a given topic. A series of interviews is conducted in phases, enabling participants to share and examine both their own and others’ perspectives. Importantly, we use participatory film editing so that participants can choose what to share, can pause and reflect on what they have heard from others, as well as choosing how they wish to respond. It is the interactive space between teller and listener that is the focus for analysis. While Brokered Dialogue is a research method, it is also an intervention, and we attend to shifts in perspective that occur as part of the process. 

A brief animation explaining the key features of the method is available here: