CFI Intergroup Dialogue

Intergroup Dialogue (IGD) is a nationally recognized, evidence-based program that brings together small groups of individuals with different social identities to share their experiences and gain deeper understanding of each other.

Social identities refer to salient sociological constructs such as gender, race/ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, ability/dis-ability, spirituality/religion, or other belief systems – including political affiliation.

The opportunity to explicitly engage in meaningful, in-depth dialogue about these matters deepens our capacity for genuine relationships with colleagues, students, and others of different backgrounds and experiences.

IDG at JMU

At JMU, international faculty and staff from a wide range of countries and continents work with each other in departments, colleges, and administrative units.

The simple distinction of international and U.S. faculty and staff hides further aspects of national identity, such as American citizens who are immigrants or whose parents were immigrants, Americans with strong racial-ethnic-cultural identities connected to different parts of the world, or Native Americans who are indigenous to the country.

Furthermore, national identity intersects with other important identity factors such as race, gender, and class.