Emotional Intelligence Initiative explores the relationship between democracy and emotions, promotes innovative instructions in the area of emotion management and dispute resolution, and organizes youth and adult education classes designed to improve emotional culture in groups and organizations. CDC organizes workshops for Nevada educators and popularizes innovative research on emotional intelligence in the Clark County School District. CDC efforts in the area of civic culture education are grounded in the belief that teaching civics alone is not enough for educating our citizens, that knowledge about the democratic political machinery and constitutional rights must be complemented by emotional competence and everyday civility. There is no consensus among scholars on whether democracy breeds certain kinds of sentiments and thrives in a particular emotional environment. Some critics say that democracy and civility do not presuppose each other, that democratic institutions do their job regardless of the quality of civic discourse and the emotional competence of the democratic citizenry. But then, emotional illiteracy and emotional littering are linked, a democracy where bullying is rampant pays a heavy price for neglecting the cultural-pragmatic dimension of civic education. The cost becomes evident when children settle disputes by shooting their rivals. Exploring the link between emotional literacy and the quality of democratic experience is one way to pay homage to the Bill of Rights and its framers whose grand experiment in democratic living we are privileged to continue.

  • EQ Network is composed of educators, scholars, and institutions dedicated to publicizing research on emotional intelligence and implementing its findings in schools, businesses, hospitals, government agencies, and other organizations. The term "EQ" stands for emotional quotient; it refers to emotional intelligence and highlights skills vital to everyday interactions. These skills are every bit as important for sustaining the quality of life as intellectual abilities measured by the intellectual quotient or "IQ." EQ International and 6 Second.org are among the institutions providing certified trainers and coaches who conduct workshops on emotional intelligence. Such web sites offer online resources, publish a calendar of national events, and help organize seminars and lectures in various parts of the country. CDC is part of this network promoting its agenda in the sate of Nevada. Self-Science for EQ Schools web board articulates the emotional intelligence curriculum objectives for school education. The EQ education program is designed to (1) increase emotionally intelligent behavior, including empathy, direct/effective communication, and inclusion; (2) prevent "risk factors," including violence, negative conflict, addiction, and under achievement; (3) create a learning environment that arouses and sustains children's curiosity and intrinsic motivation to build a context where high achievement is valuable and enjoyable; (4) increase awareness of interdependence, personal responsibility for choices, and consequential thinking; and (5) transfer EQ skills into academic subjects to increase performance, achievement, critical thinking, and creative thinking. To these goals spelled out by the EQ curriculum, CDC activists add several more objectives designed to strengthen the civic culture component of democracy: (6) to explore the link between emotions and politics; (7) to examine the relationship between art and democratic experience; and (8) to cultivate practical civility as a means of realizing a social and political agenda.

  • The Leading Emotional Indicators project invites a closer look at the quality of life in our community. It is based on the notion that emotions play a vital role in the workplace, that every organization has a distinct emotional culture, and that the emotional health of its workers contributes weightily to the organization’s success and the quality of life in the community as a whole. As a service to the community, CDC conducts seminars on the Emotional Wellness and Emotionally Intelligent Workplace and the role of emotions in society. The Center's staff uses Emotion Template Matrix Analysis and ETM Survey to identify the organization’s leading emotional indicators and affect patterns. Where possible, this service is offered on the pro bono basis. To find out about the leading emotional indicators project and CDC services, please contact CDC director.

  • ETM Survey is designed to assist individuals and groups in understanding patterns of their affective life and organizational culture. Administered by the CDC Board of Directors and intended for individual and group development purposes, the survey is available on the internet. You can access it by clicking on this link: MoodCounts. The survey is free, anonymous, and confidential. It takes about 20-30 minutes to complete, and it generates a three page computer report that lists the survey taker’s emotional indicators alongside the database mean scores. The ETM survey site has a group users’ option that allows charting emotional cultures of various groups and organizations. To obtain a group access code, please contact CDC administrators: cdclv@unlv.nevada.edu. You can learn about the MoodCounts questionnaire and emotionally intelligent democracy through the following links: Emotional Intelligence and Emotionally Intelligent Democracy, Emotion Template Matrix Analysis, MoodCounts: How to Read ETM Survey, ETM Chart, ETM Table, and ETM Index Table. The ETM survey results were presented at the 2006 Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association, Montreal, August 12. The findings can be found in the paper Agency Scan and Emotion Template Matrix Analysis: Theory, Methodology, Preliminary Findings.

  • Readings on Emotional Intelligence listed below provide an overview of the field and offer further references to those interested in practical applications of the emotional intelligence findings.

    1. Bar-On, R. and James D. A. Parker, eds., (2000). The Handbook of Emotional Intelligence. Theory, Development, Assessment, and Application at Home, School, and in the Workplace. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
    2. Bocchino, R. (1999). Emotional Literacy. To Be A different Kind of Smart. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
    3. Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple Intelligences. New York: Basic Books.
    4. Goleman, D. (1995) Emotional Intelligence. New York: Bantam Books.
    5. Goleman, D. (1998) Working with Emotional Intelligence. New York: Bantam Books.
    6. Rosenthal, N. E. The Emotional Revolution. How the New Science of Feelings Can Transform Your Life. New York: Citadel Press.
    7. Shalin, D. N. (2004). "Liberalism, Affect Control, and Emotionally Intelligent Democracy." Journal of Human Rights. Vol. 4. Fall.
    8. Shalin, D. N. (2005). "Legal Pragmatism, an Ideal Speech Situation, and the Fully Embodied Democratic Process." Nevada Law Journal. Vol. 5. No. 2.
    9. Sharp, P. (2001). Nurturing Emotional Literacy. A Practical Guide for Teachers, Parents, and Those in the Caring Professions. London: David Fulton Publishers.