common ground

(noun)

Finding common ground is a technique for facilitating interpersonal relationships. In order to find common ground between parties, participants must search for signals of recognition, which are often subtle and cause for misunderstanding.

Related Terms

Examples of common ground in the following topics:

  • Entertaining Objections

    • If you want to convince skeptical readers that your claim is reasonable, try to establish common ground.
    • You should establish common ground early on, preferably in the introduction to your paper.
    • Support your argument by explaining opposing views in sufficient detail, thereby establishing common ground with your readers

  • Anticipating Potential Objections

    • So try to form a common ground with the audience.
    • So try to form a common ground with the audience.

  • Indicating Who Cares

    • What common ground do you share with your audience ?
    • Establishing common ground with your audience helps make your argument more convincing.

  • Making Concessions

    • Then you are better able to return to the common ground you established in the beginning of your paper.

  • Saying Why It Matters

    • The opening should provide a common ground of general information about your topic, and then get more specific as it closes in on your particular question and ultimately your thesis.

  • "So What?"

    • Establish common ground to show them that, ultimately, you all want the same thing.

  • Critical Thinking

    • You may even find commonalities between your discipline and the unfamiliar subject that you can use to expand the scope of your work or add a fresh perspective.
    • The connection between the two thinkers is not immediately obvious: Derrida is primarily known for his theories about literary interpretation and linguistics; Derrida finds common ground with Lévi-Strauss, however, in their shared interest in the relationship between speech and writing.

  • Arguing with Evidence and Warrants

    • The last proposition may seem a bit tricky, but it is necessary because warrants work by playing upon the writer and reader's common ground.

  • The Basics of Quotations

    • But since it is a precise number that isn't common knowledge, you do need to cite it.
    • You might assume that it's a common fact that could be found anywhere, and so you wouldn't need to cite it. 
    • You might consider that a quote from an herbalist or doctor offering the same information might give the skeptical reader a feeling of being on more solid ground.
    • You'll note that there's no question about whether or not to cite the source, because it's an original thought, not a common fact.

  • Techniques for Acknowledging Opposing Views

    • For example, if you're arguing for hate-crime legislation and your search terms use only language related to that, you may find counterarguments based on free speech, but you may exclude those that oppose legislation on religious grounds.
    • In this example, the writer is putting himself in his reader's place, voicing one of the most common and understandable objections to his thesis.