Padnos/Sarosik
Center for Civil Discourse
| |
Message from the DirectorDear Friends of the Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse,
Recently, while enjoying a casual dinner with friends and feeling relaxed and at ease in the company of like-minded people, I let out an exasperated sigh when our conversation turned to politics and said, “What is wrong with people? How can anyone vote for such a nitwit?” It was an emotionally unfiltered moment in which my frustration and fear overrode my usual commitment to civil discourse.
This is one way polarization happens. I negatively characterized people by asking what was wrong with them and bashed the character of the political leader by calling the person a nitwit. Labeling people and name-calling are certainly not civil discourse strategies! I let my frustration and fear cloud my better judgement, but because I was among like-minded friends, I didn’t think much of it at the time. Rather, I felt validated and comforted by the chorus of agreement in the group: Yes, a nitwit, indeed.
Affective polarization occurs when a person has negative feelings toward people outside the political party or group(s) with which one identifies and positive feelings toward the political party or group(s) to which one belongs–and it is one of the most difficult types of polarization to shift. Affective polarization is at play when someone demonizes the person with whom they disagree, rather than simply disagreeing with the person’s ideas (such as calling someone a nitwit).
Yet, shifting affective polarization is something we each can do. The bridge-building organization, Braver Angels, offers a Depolarizing Within workshop (online; free; open to all). The main message is that we each are responsible for interrupting the polarization happening all around us (from families to politicians), and that a meaningful starting place for this work is with self-reflection and a shift in our own personal practice. How, for example, do you talk about “the other political side” when you are with like-minded friends? Do your references to groups of people negatively characterize them? A helpful strategy to depolarize one’s own language and mindset is to ask yourself, “How might a person from ‘the other side’ feel if they heard what I was saying right now? Would they feel that the characterization was factually accurate and granted them human respect?”
I know that I have more work to do in this regard. Calling someone a nitwit, even in the privacy of one’s own home and in the company of friends, devalues that person and does not grant them human respect. How we talk influences how we think.
I invite you to join me in a commitment to affectively depolarize from within. Together, let’s resist societal divides.
Wishing you peace and wellness,
Lisa
| |
Reaching students through Kirkhof tabling
Amid the hustle and bustle of the Kirkhof center at Grand Valley’s Allendale Campus, the
Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse, alongside the student organization, Connections Through Conversation, set up a tabling event to spread the message of civil discourse.
We had fun sharing some of the center’s new swag, including freshly designed dialogue stickers as we talked with students about how they could engage in the center’s activities and join Connections Through Conversation.
Our next tabling event is Thursday, February 22 from 2:30-4:30. We hope to see you there!
| |
Board Member Spotlight: Milt RohwerI firmly believe that the tribalism we are experiencing in the United States and much of the western world is a grave threat to our society. For the want of civil discourse and mutual understanding, we seem to be coming apart. To me, it is not a problem that will be solved by a national leader or even group of leaders.
With this as a backdrop, when I heard about a Center for Civil Discourse at Grand Valley, I was intrigued. First of all, that this effort was a part of an educational institution seemed so appropriate.The opportunity to participate in a focused endeavor to improve our civil discourse was irresistible.
Everything I read and my own experience suggests that the tribalism and absence of civil discourse we see in society stems from deep seated emotion. There seems to be a few triggers for the hostility that engulfs us. I want to suggest that one trigger is condescension. There is a propensity for some to feel that they have all the answers and to view others in a manner that diminishes them. Frankly, those of us with higher education degrees are too often guilty of displaying what can be viewed as patronizing superiority.
The second trigger seems to be the expression of viewpoints that are incontrovertible and often seemingly detached from any facts. When one encounters someone who asserts discourse in a manner that makes it clear that they think there is no possibility they are wrong, discourse stops and emotions such as anger begin.
It seems to me that the Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse's vision of inclusive communities where multiple perspectives are welcome, every person is respected, and feels a sense of belongin is laudable and possible. I may be wrong. But I do not think so.
| |
|
Story of Impact: Danielle Blanchard
Meet Danielle, the Vice President of the new student organization, Connections Through Conversation (CTC). Danielle is a sophomore at Grand Valley studying social work.
We sat down with Danielle to discuss where her interest in the mission of civil discourse started.
"I took IDS 150: Dialogue Across Difference with Lisa Perhamus my freshman year. Layla Kattau, CTC President, and I we’re walking out of Lisa’s class on the last day of the semester when we realized we wanted a way to keep the conversations going," Danielle said. "We had found deep connections with one another and developed new perspectives on life that we wanted to continue to grow. So, we decided to start a club."
Danielle and Layla's vision for the club came to fruition during the Fall 2023 semester when CTC was launched.
"Most of us live in our own bubble, separated from those who are different from us," Danielle said. "The goal of Connections Through Conversation is to provides a safe space to have discussions with people you wouldn’t normally talk to. It allows people to tell their stories and explain the why behind their beliefs and opinions. The goal is not for everyone to believe the same thing, but for people to develop empathy and understanding for those they disagree with."
Danielle's civil discourse toolbox continues to develop in her professional and personal life. She describes the profound impact civil discourse’s teaching has brought to her as she continues to develop civil discourse as a life skill through CTC.
"Civil discourse teaches how to listen, helps you to be open-minded, and exposes you to new ideas and perspectives," Danielle said. "It also teaches you how to separate a person from their beliefs, so that you can disagree with them without disagreeing with who they are as a person. These skills are so important for building better relationships and maintaining the ones you already have. But they are also crucial for today’s era of political divide and intergroup conflict."
Join Danielle and the other members of CTC at the next meetings on February 14th and 28th at 6pm to develop your own civil discourse toolbox in an open, safe, and accepting environment that embraces differences and preserves your right to disagree.
Click link for more information on how to join CTC in their mission to develop civil discourse as a life skill for students.
| |
Story of Impact: Alumna Sam Johnson
Meet Sam, an alumna of GVSU and of the Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse.
Samantha Johnson was the very first student to work for the center! Like so many Lakers
for a lifetime, Sam continues to build upon the learning she began at Grand Valley in her
post-graduation professional work as a Development & Marketing Specialist for CASA of Kent County.
Sam recently shared what civil discourse means to her, now that she has graduated. We were curious about her journey since she first began working for the center as a student assistant at the end of her first year, in 2019.
“At the time that I applied for the job at PSCCD, I was taking my freshman sequence with
the Honors College,” Sam said. “The course was called Alliance and Conflict. It was a
sociology of religion class with a strong focus on what Dr. Cataldo referred to as “relational dialogue.” Experiencing relational dialogue/civil discourse as an academic exercise helped make me more confident to engage in conversation outside of the classroom, and when I saw the PSCCD role, I thought it seemed like an extension of what I’d already been learning.”
During this time, the country was engulfed in tensions and frustrations around pandemic
lockdowns, masking, and vaccines; racialized police violence; and the 2020 presidential
election campaign. As Sam describes it, her civil discourse skills were challenged
because the issues were so emotionally charged and the conversations often so
polarizing.
“Many of the conversations about these issues changed my perception of civil discourse. I
was confronted with situations where I didn’t feel I could “agree to disagree;” I deeply empathized with rage and destruction,” Sam said. “I was forced to acknowledge that the concept of civility has often been a tool of the oppressor and was challenged to put civil discourse principles into practice during instances where someone’s identity and safety were being threatened. This has led me to be more conscious of the spaces I am in and the people around me.”
Navigating the conflict in conversations while working at the PSCCD held Sam accountable to stay engaged and have empathy in conversations.
“With increasing political polarization, I have noticed a tendency in others to either behave violently or, more frequently, to shut down during disagreements,” Sam said. “I have come to believe there can be a time and place for each type of interaction, especially when someone is personally threatened. Working with PSCCD was like a commitment to stay in the ‘brave space," even outside official program activities.”
After working with the center for three years, Sam graduated in April 2022 and now works as a Development & Marketing Specialist for CASA of Kent County, a nonprofit in Grand Rapids. She still practices civil discourse today in her professional and personal life with the skills she learned from working for the center.
“The tools in my civil discourse toolbox help me to be a more effective employee and
coworker. I have practiced listening and asking questions. I also have a predetermined set of rules of engagement already in my head,” Sam said. “Even in the professional world, one is likely to encounter personal opinions and disagreements, so I feel equipped to engage during those types of situations. I feel like civil discourse is kind of a ~way of life~. To me, it is a commitment to engage when I can in a way that I am proud of.”
| |
Give to Make an Impact
Support learning journeys like Sam's and Danielle's by giving to the Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse. Your gift supports programming for students' lifelong learning.
Click on the link to make your donation today!
| |
| Focus on Leadership
Attention students! Want to learn more about how to practice civil discourse? Register for IDS 150 and IDS 350 to learn how to build bridges through conversation and develop lifeskills for communicating across divides.
| |
Resources
1. Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a
Time by Susan Scott (book)
The book offers strategies for:
• Overcoming barriers to meaningful communication
• Expanding and enriching relationships with colleagues,
friends, and family
• Increasing clarity and improving understanding
• Handling strong emotions—on both sides of the table
• Connecting with colleagues, customers, and family at a
deep level
The conflict in the Middle East has been a broad subject for
decades, including in American, Jewish, and Muslim communities.
But for almost as long, interfaith groups have sought to bring their
communities together to find common ground. That doesnt make
watching the current war any easier, but some groups have found a
blueprint for how to keep discourse civil and focused on humanity.
Mónica welcomes David Brooks, author and New York Times
columnist, to break down an essential and endangered skill for
talking politics – hearing deeply and being deeply heard. Then April
joins Mónica to ask what it all means for liberals and conservatives,
and we hear from a man who runs a Pennsylvania barbershop
where debating diverse viewpoints is on the house.
| |
Follow the Center for Civil Discourse on Social Media
| |
|
|
