In our polarized society (and this is certainly true in other countries, in addition to the US), people seem to have retreated to familiar corners, often operating from binary ways of thinking-- my side is good (or righteous) and your side is bad (or evil). It's even true among college students, so I've devised a 13 week seminar for the sophomores at the university where I teach, called "Thinking Outside the Bubble-- Learning to Communicate with The Other Side."
The goal is to promote critical thinking and to encourage students to look at both sides of some of the more contentious social and cultural issues of our day-- rather than arbitrarily deciding that one side (usually the one they were taught at home) is the best, and the folks who believe differently are totally misguided-- or, to paraphrase a typical conversation on social media: if you don't agree with me, you are obviously an idiot.
Among the areas we will explore are politics (liberal versus conservative viewpoints on the role of government, for example); social issues like abortion and contraception; is it moral to eat meat; is capital punishment ever acceptable; as well as the ongoing gun rights versus gun control debate. I am seeking interesting journal articles/essays that address these and other issues from either liberal, conservative, religious, or libertarian perspectives. I am also hoping for a wide range of voices from various disciplines-- historians, sociologists, media theorists, religious scholars, etc. (Just keep in mind these are undergraduates and they are just beginning to study these areas in any depth.) Thanks for any ideas that will help me to enhance my course!
Donna L. Halper, PhD; Associate Professor of Communication and Media Studies, Lesley University Cambridge MA
You will see on researchgate excellent references to thinking on disability politics so hope you will include some of these - see our updates on this.
Mainz, Germany
Dear Halper,
I have long been concerned with the problem of communication which you describe.
My observation is that the answers given to controversial questions, such as those you mention, often function more or less as simple signals of in-group membership, and the discussions are often perceived as occasions for simple personal expression--where in-group membership provides safety for personal expression and emotional self-expansion.
If the aim is communication across the contemporary divisions, then you might consider taking the opposite approach of concentrating on comparatively uncontroversial questions, or uncontroversial aspects of question, where there is greater social openness for differences and greater chances of reaching a range of agreed or acceptable answers. This helps build confidence across the lines of deeper differences and ore accurate estimates of the contributions of others.
Avoid confrontation, since this plays into the hands of the closed ideologues. This is the longer, slower route, but it is often more effective.
H.G. Callaway
Not exactly about particular issues, but Jonathan Haidt's work on moral foundations is extremely pertinent to understanding why we ended up in a polarized society, and what the polarization is about. Here's an article and a book that I find quite illuminating:
Haidt, J., & Graham, J. (2007). When morality opposes justice: Conservatives have moral intuitions that liberals may not recognize. Social Justice Research, 20(1), 98–116. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11211-007-0034-z
Haidt, J. (2012). The righteous mind: Why good people are divided by politics and religion. Vintage.
Dear Halper,
I have written about this issue especially in Malaysian society, do plz scroll through my publications.
Tq
I will keep your post in mind as I work & if I come across anything relevant will be sure to pass it along. Do you have a time frame you are working under. Also, kudos to you for introducing a class like this to the "wise fools". You have taken on quite a challenge.
For now I will recommend a book you may find interesting...
The Righteous Mind: Why good people are divided by politics and religion
By Jonathan Haidt
Sorry for the lack of a proper citation, but I have it on Audible.
Keep well.
yes i do have a time frame...just keep in touch if you want more detail..
cheers
My time frame is ASAP, as I am working on the syllabus over the next several weeks. Thanks for all suggestions.
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