Watch for the outcome of the Deliberative Poll assembly to be held in
Canberra in the next couple of weeks, I believe. It is the last large-scale
activity organised by the Council for Reconciliation.
A Deliberative Poll uses reliable social research techniques to measure
attitudes pre and post exposure to the issue in hand. It follows these
steps -
1. National survey [of about 1,500 people] provides a benchmark gauge of
national sentiment on the topic.
2. A representative sample [age, sex, geography, from the poll] of c.300
people are invited to a two day seminar in Canberra.
3. In the seminar, they debate the issues. A number of experts are available
to provide facts and figures. In this case Labor, Lib + Democrat politicians
and some key Aboriginal reps will be present [as far as I know].
4. At the end, the participants are polled again.
In the Deliberative Poll held on the subject of the Republic, the opinion
shifted from something like 52% to 70% in favour after the seminar.
The seminar does not particularly try to persuade the participants. The
format is that the participants DEBATE with each other and can call on
expert information as they require.
The cost of the coming one [reported as $300,000-$500,000] has been
underwritten by private sponsors.
Reports are that the information from the Deliberative Poll will be
influential on policy this year, because the methodology is reliable.
It's wonderful to see how opinions change in the presence of open debate and
exposure to information. I wonder how often poetryetc discussions are
sufficiently open and/or informed to lead to opinion change?
Gillian
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