UW-Parkside Community Forum features UW-Madison Professor Katherine Cramer

SOMERS – The public is invited Wednesday, April 11, for an evening of dialogue to help foster better communication and understanding between rural and urban communities in southeastern Wisconsin. The University of Wisconsin-Parkside hosts “Building Bridges as We Talk: Knowing Our Neighbors” in the Student Center Ballroom. A reception begins at 5 p.m., followed by a presentation and dialogue from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

UW-Madison Professor Dr. Katherine Cramer, author of “The Politics of Resentment: Rural Consciousness in Wisconsin and the Rise of Scott Walker,” will share lessons she learned after spending years talking with people across the state. After the presentation, Dr. Cramer, along with Dr. Peggy James, dean of the UW-Parkside College of Social Sciences and Professional Studies, and students from her political science course will facilitate small-group discussions between campus and community participants.

Debra Karp, UW-Parkside director of Community Engagement, describes “Building Bridges As We Talk: Knowing Our Neighbors” as an interactive event that addresses a goal of UW-Parkside’s Civic Action Plan - Build and Sustain a culture that appreciates, fosters and supports a diverse, inclusive campus and regional community.

“It is an opportunity to bring together people from diverse backgrounds to discuss their views in a respectful manner,” Karp said. Following the model of Dr. Cramer’s research throughout the state, UW-Parkside political science students gathered viewpoints of people in a variety of rural and urban settings in the communities surrounding UW-Parkside as well as on campus. The students will a share their experiences alongside Dr. Cramer during the presentation.

Dr. Cramer is a professor of political science at UW-Madison and an affiliate faculty member in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, the LaFollette School of Public Affairs, the Elections Research Center, the Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education, the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies, the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems and the Institute for Research on Poverty. Her work focuses on the way people in the United States make sense of politics and their place in the political process.

“Building Bridges As We Talk: Knowing our Neighbors” is part of UW-Parkside Dignity and Respect Campaign, and is sponsored by the College of Social Sciences and Professional Studies, Community Engagement Office, and Wisconsin Campus Compact.

For more information on the event, and to RSVP visit: https://www.uwp.edu/connect/communityengagement/buildingbridges.cfm