Katabasis in Myth and Film

We, as a group, have come to an agreement on the following guidelines for communication:

• While we may have strong opinions and beliefs, we agree to remain flexible and open to new perspectives
• We agree to be willing to contribute ideas
• We agree to come to the table well-prepared and to be able to support our ideas with evidence
• We agree to ask penetrating questions to promote nuanced thought
• We agree to make every effort to understand the ideas of others, to synthesize them, to evaluate them, and to incorporate them into our own understanding
• We agree to speak thoughtfully and diplomatically so as not to offend others
• We agree to challenge ideas without attacking people
• We agree to make sure we understand someone’s point of view before we challenge it; we agree to get clarification
• We agree not to monopolize conversations and to encourage quieter people to share their ideas
• We agree to reflect upon, understand, and correct our own biases and prejudices
• We agree to let others speak and to listen to what they have to say
• We agree to refrain from arrogance and to monitor the tones of our voices
• We agree to be aware of how our body language affects our interactions
• We agree to remain on topic and not “hijack” conversations
• We agree to make every effort to be clear and understandable
• We agree to treat others as equals and to encourage each other to participate
• We agree to BE WILLING TO RE-THINK CONCEPTS AND RE-FORMULATE QUESTIONS
• We agree to HOLD EACH OTHER RESPONSIBLE FOR LIVING UP TO OUR AGREEMENTS