The Structure of Dialogue: Exploring Habermas' Discourse Theory to Explain the "Magic" and Potential of Restorative Justice Processes

The theory of restorative justice has always lagged behind practice. As such, gaps in theory have developed, existed over time and continue to exist today, particularly in terms of explaining the so-called magic that occurs within the encounter process. By exploring the theories of Jurgen Habermas, it is suggested that new frameworks can be developed that can help theorists think about and explain the experiences central to restorative processes. This paper focuses on Habermas' theory of universal pragmatics and communicative action as a means to better understand the workings within the encounter process that give rise to common understanding, agreement, learning, and strengthened relationships.La theorie de la justice reparatrice a toujours ete a la remorque de la pratique. Par consequent, des failles sont apparues, et les ecarts qui se sont creuses au fil du temps existent toujours, particulierement pour ce qui est d'expliquer la reaction qualifiee de « magique » qui suit le processus transactionnel. Il est suggere que, grâce a l'etude des theories de Jurgen Habermas, il serait possible de creer de nouveaux cadres d'action qui pourraient aider les theoriciens a se pencher sur les experiences au coeur du processus de reparation et a les expliquer. L'article examine la theorie de Habermas sur la pragmatique universelle et les enonces performatifs comme moyens pour mieux comprendre les mecanismes du processus transactionnel qui menent a une comprehension commune, a l'entente, a l'apprentissage et a des relations plus solides.IntroductionI. Habermas ' theories of universal pragmatics and communicative action1. The role and function of language2. The three-world concept3. Validity claims and argumentationII. Communicative action and the experiences of learning and bonding within the restorative justice process1. Learning potential2. Binding or bonding forceIII. Explaining the restorative encounter process1. Framework to understand the restorative encounter process2. The significance of Habermas ' theories for restorative justiceIntroductionAn important aspect of the restorative justice process is a commitment to the bringing together of all parties involved in a wrong in a face-to-face encounter, to allow the parties to dialogue about the wrong committed and search for ways to make the wrong right. Despite encounter being at the heart of any restorative justice process, what happens within or during the face-to-face restorative process remains to some extent ambiguous and unclear. Authors have described the experiences witnessed in encounters such as strengthened social relationships, personal transformation, learning, and coming to a common understanding.1 To date, however, there is little explanation of the basic workings of the encounter and how it produces the above-noted experiences. Theorists have instead often simply skimmed over this element with vague terminology, or have taken a romanticized approach referring simply to the so-called magic that happens within or during an encounter.2 Still others suggest that there is going on, but acknowledge that we are still struggling to explain As Paul McCold suggests:Facilitators of restorative processes regularly observe a personal and social transformation occur during the course of the process. There is often the strong sense that something significant is occurring which has very little to do with the facilitator and operates at a subconscious level among the participants....Today we struggle to understand what it is we see, although those observing the transformations that can occur in restorative processes would agree, we know it when we see it. A shared language will eventually develop from how we interpret what we see and how we express those visions to others.3Although never writing on the topic of restorative justice, the theories of German philosopher and sociologist Jurgen Habermas may provide a helpful framework or perspective from which to explore, further examine, and begin to understand the that is occurring during the encounter process. …

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