"Embracing Multiple Perspectives": Dynamics of Harmony and Dissonance in English Classroom Discussions

Abstract

In this study, we examine the discourse patterns unfolding in first-year writing classroom discussions, with attention to the ways those dynamics are informed by broader sociocultural contexts. In examining students’ discourse moves through sociocultural lenses, including Hofstede et al.’s (2010) conception of collectivism, we trace patterns of harmony—expressions of agreement or unity—and dissonance—moments of discord or tension—in student discussions. We situate our inquiry in the Socratic Seminar, a student-centered discussion model that invites spaces for the dialogic unfolding of multiple voices and perspectives. We employ a discourse analytic approach to investigate the ways students signal harmonic or dissonant perspectives. In complicating the notions of harmony as unproductive agreement and dissonance as a disruptive force, we elucidate the ways students co-construct knowledge by negotiating a delicate interplay between harmony and dissonance. We illustrate the ways students seek deeper meanings through tonal counterpoint and the dialogic expansion of alternative interpretive possibilities. We also examine how a culturally responsive pedagogy might inform the ways we view and attempt to “move” the discussion. Ultimately, we illuminate insights into the multivocal, multiperspectival nature of student discourse as inflected by sociocultural dimensions.