Collaborate Now!: How Expertise Becomes Useful in Civic Life

Those who seek change in civic life have much in common, especially the need to collaborate. We each bring valuable expertise to the table. It is not a solitary endeavor. Collaborate Now! presents a new argument about the nature of collaborative relationships among diverse thinkers. There's a core tension that arises: although we need to strategize with others when deciding what to do, forming new collaborative relationships is often quite difficult. As with any form of voluntary civic engagement, it takes time. Yet on top of that, it also entails relationality: relating to others in ways that are meaningful and brimming with interaction. Using a combination of case studies, field experiments, interviews, and observational data, this book unpacks the multi-dimensional nature of relationality, providing a rich understanding of the collaboration needed to tackle civic challenges, and the tools to foster it.