It may appear that I am “with” the process critics, arguing against
the importance of Fielding’s analysis of the coalition-building process
and roles for extension within that process. I do not mean to. I think
his process model is valuable. I am simply issuing the warning that
there are other ways of looking at coalition building that might be
more valuable to certain extension agents, specialists and others. Or,
at least, there are approaches that might “ease” certain individuals
into studying a model like the one Fielding described.
Bill Krueger, the extension specialist and department head who
spearheaded the Oregon Watershed Improvement Coalition, told me
this about his experience:
When I got involved with OWIC I didn’t know anything about
social sciences or coalition building. I hadn’t had any education
in the theory or practice of how you get people to do various
things or what you should do to get people to do things. We just
jumped into it and decided that what we needed to do was to
stop the fights that were beginning about natural resources —
and to help people get the best information they could to make
decisions. That’s really all it was.
I do not believe Bill Krueger. I do not believe “That’s really all it
was.” And I wish we had more down-to-earth information on the
nuances of how he and practical-minded extension professionals like
him play roles in the building of coalitions. I think it would engage
agents and specialists who find much of the literature of process too
“ivory tower.” I suggest you involve more people like Bill Krueger
in your future meetings.
Maybe what is needed are more diaries, not journal articles?
ISSUE EDUCATION STYLES
Judith A. Burridge
“Issues don’t polarize, Stuckness does.” What educators and facili-
tators need to do is to be able to adventure or operate in an ad hoc
manner when people get stuck (Friedman). Issue educational styles
have been discussed by the two preceding speakers. I would like to
emphasize that the style or process used by an issue educator needs
to fit the audience with whom s/he is dealing. You have listened to
Andy Duncan who has described Bill Krueger’s method of dealing
with conflict. His process skills are covert in his style of delivery and
he takes pride in stating he wants nothing to do with “that process
stuff.”
Fielding, on the other hand, discussed a process of coalition build-
ing and developed the study guide to go with the satellite program
we just viewed. Both emphasize the use of process skills in order to
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