LibGuides: Take It On: Reading

Why It's Worth It to Engage in Dialogue

Dialogue - Discussion - Debate

Why Teach People to Work through Differences
On the Virtue of Civility
Dialogue as a Radical Act
Daring Classrooms - a Culture of Courage Brené Brown. We need to be vulnerable and authentic if we're going to make the most of this opportunity to learn from/with one another.
The Ethics of Encounter Marcus Mescher. The Ethics of Encounter provides an ethical framework for the “culture of encounter” that Pope Francis calls us to build. This book serves as a creative and constructive proposal for what it would take to build a “culture of encounter” in an American context marked by rising individualism, racial tensions, class segregation, hyperpartisanship, and echo chambers online. The work of Fr. Greg Boyle, SJ, provides a case study for overcoming fear, hatred, and trauma in order to practice Christian neighbor love that aspires for solidarity. See in particular chapter 2 on the story of the Good Samaritan and chapter 4 on the personal steps people can take to cultivate courage, compassion, humility, curiosity, and solidarity.

Why It's Needed

General

What Religion Can Teach the Left We hear a lot about the religious right; but religion also has an important role to play on the left.
Arthur Brooks on the Crisis of Contempt Arthur Brooks's 2020 National Prayer Breakfast speech
Barack Obama on Indifference Barack Obama midterm election speech
Pope Francis on Indifference On Pope Francis
Loretta Ross on Cancel Culture "I’m a Black Feminist. I Think Call-Out Culture Is Toxic. There are better ways of doing social justice work."
Malcolm Gladwell, Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know
W. Ward Fearnside and William B. Halther, Fallacy: The Counterfeit of Argument
Sarah Schulman, Conflict is Not Abuse: Overstating Harm, Community Responsibility, and the Duty of Repair

Politics & Partisanship

Feeling Superior Is a Bipartisan Issue Elizabeth A. Harris and Jay J. Van Bavel, Preregistered Replication of "Feeling Superior Is a Bipartisan Issue: Extremity (Not Direction) of Political Views Predicts Perceived Belief Superiority" Psychological Science 2021, Vol. 32(3) 451–458
Psychological Barriers to Bipartisan Public Support for Climate Policy Leaf Van Boven, Phillip J. Ehret, and David K. Sherman. Perspectives on Psychological Science 2018, Vol. 13(4) 492 –507. Psychological scientists have the expertise—and arguably an obligation—to help understand the political polarization that impedes enactment of climate policy. Many explanations emphasize Republican skepticism about climate change. Yet results from national panel studies in 2014 and 2016 indicate that most Republicans believe in climate change, if not as strongly as Democrats. Political polarization over climate policy does not simply reflect that Democrats and Republicans disagree about climate change but that Democrats and Republicans disagree with each other...Correcting misperceived norms of opposition and decoupling policy evaluation from identity concerns would help overcome these seemingly insurmountable barriers to bipartisan support for climate policy.

The Psychology of Online Political Hostility Alexander Bor and Michael Bang Petersen. American Political Science Review, August 2021. Social media doesn't make people more hostile; it reveals hostile personalities that likely are also manifest offline.
Purple States of America A better way to visualize American voting patterns.
Ohio Politics How the partisan divide grew over decades.
Cartoonish Narratives Aren't Helping
In Politics, Sometimes the Facts Don't Matter "New research suggests that misinformed people rarely change their minds when presented with the facts — and often become even more attached to their beliefs. The finding raises questions about a key principle of a strong democracy: that a well-informed electorate is best."
Pew Research Center This nonpartisan fact tank presents information on a variety of topics based on public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis, and other data-driven social science research, including this section on the 2020 election.

On the Media

Media Bias Chart
Media Manipulation and Disinformation Online Alice Marwick and Rebecca Lewis, Data & Society, May 5, 2017. This report explores how and from whom disinformation spreads online and the media’s role in perpetuating it. The link includes the full report, case studies, and a syllabus for teaching about media manipulation.
How Disinformation Evolved in 2020 Five takeaways on how online disinformation campaigns and platform responses changed in 2020, and how they didn’t.

Skills & Tools for Effective Dialogue

General

The Xavier Way for Dialogue The Xavier Way for Dialogue: A Shared Vision to Strengthen our Community, developed in conversation with faculty and staff across the University, offers ten norms as shared commitments for deepening and broadening the bonds of our campus community. This document was developed in early 2020 by Marcus Mescher, Associate Professor of Christian Ethics (Theology), in consultation with the faculty, staff and students on the Take It On 2020 Council, the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, Mission and Identity, the Ethics/Religion and Society program, the Staff Advisory Committee, the Center for Faith and Justice, Residence Life and the College of Arts and Sciences Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
Xavier "Tools for a Healthy Conversation" Dialogue Card This dialogue card is a short version of the Xavier Way for Dialogue.

Facilitation Guide: Complete This guide was developed by Rachel Chrastil in conversation with faculty and staff in Fall 2021. This file is the complete guide. The files below are the components to the complete guide.
Facilitation Guide: Introduction
Facilitation Guide: Why It's Worth It
Facilitation Guide: Tools for a Healthy Conversation
Facilitation Guide: Class Commitments
Facilitation Guide: Building Dialogue Skills
Facilitation Guide: Resolving Disagreements
Facilitation Guide: Election Day
The Role of Students in Creating the Xavier Way for Dialogue: Tools to Engage in Difficult Conversations Kathy Obear's resources. Presented at Xavier in 2020
"Respect Differences? Challenging the Common Guidelines in Social Justice Education" Özlem Sensoy and Robin DiAngelo, Democracy & Education
"Knowing Ourselves as Instructors" From Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice: A Sourcebook
"Facilitating Social Justice Education Courses" From Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice: A Sourcebook

Start Talking: A Handbook for Engaging Difficult Dialogues in Higher Education Edited by Kay Landis, University of Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Pacific University (2008). This resource presents “strategies for engaging controversial topics in the classroom, and reflections from thirty-five faculty and staff members who have field-tested the techniques.” It is aimed at instructors who want to “strengthen their teaching and engage their students more effectively in conversations about the most important issues of our time.”
“Fostering Civil Discourse: A Guide for Classroom Conversations” Facing History and Ourselves. This guide describes ideas and tools to help instructors prepare their classrooms and students to practice civil discourse, including detailed overviews of four teaching strategies.
“How to Hold a Better Class Discussion: Advice Guide” Jay Howard, The Chronicle of Higher Education This thorough guide offers advice and strategies about improving class discussion and student participation in general and includes a section on handling divisive topics.
“Seven Bricks to Lay the Foundation for Productive Difficult Dialogues” Annie Soisson, EdD, FacultyFocus.com, October 16, 2018 This article focuses on planned, in-class dialogues and presents guidelines for developing the environment and skills that make difficult dialogues effective learning opportunities.
“Managing Difficult Classroom Discussions” Indiana University Bloomington Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning This article guides instructors through preparation, in-class, follow-up, and potential problems with difficult discussion. While the suggestions focus on pre-planned discussions, many are also applicable to unexpected discussions.
Structured Academic Controversy SERC Pedagogy in Action This website offers a toolkit for teaching with Structured Academic Controversy (SAC), “a type of cooperative learning strategy...designed to engage students in controversy and then guide them to seek consensus.” The site includes research findings on the pedagogical effectiveness of SAC, a how-to guide, teaching examples, and additional resources.
"Leading Effective Classroom Discussions on Controversial Issues” Nels P. Highberg, The Chronicle of Higher Education, May 10, 2010 This article offers practical guidelines for planning and facilitating discussion on controversial topics in the classroom.
“Civility in the Classroom: How to Encourage Christian Humility” Leslie A. Hahner This article describes how three key tactics of social and emotional health can reshape public and private conversations.
“How to Politely Disagree, According to Science” Michelle Kinder, TIME Ideas, January 27, 2017 This article describes how three key tactics of social and emotional health can reshape public and private conversations.
"How to Talk to Someone You Have Nothing in Common With" Brittany Wong, HuffPost, April 6, 2021
"How to Talk to a Contrarian (Without Getting in a Fight)" Brittany Wong, HuffPost, April 15, 2021
"The Science of Reasoning with Unreasonable People" Adam Grant, NY Times, January 31, 2021
"20 Great Questions to Ask Instead of 'How Are You Doing Right Now'" Elizabeth Weingarten, Quartz at Work, April 10, 2020
"How to Not Say the Wrong Thing" Susan Silk and Barry Goldman, LA Times, April 7, 2013
"You 2.0: The Empathy Gym" Shankar Vedantam, Hidden Brain, July 29, 2019
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzle
Sample ground rules for dialogue National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation

Mindfulness and Embodied Practices

How to Have an Embodied Conversation Conversations can take place from head to head. Or from body to body; speaking not only from the mind, but also involving our emotional and physical presence and awareness.
How Mindfulness Can Help Bridge Political Divides According to Jacob Hess, talking across our political differences is the hardest mindfulness practice of all.
Tree of Contemplative Practices The Tree of Contemplative Practices illustrates some of the many contemplative practices used in education and secular organizations. For almost two decades, this image has been the most popular way to demonstrate a variety of forms of contemplative practice.
How to Listen When You Disagree

Discussing Politics in the Classroom

“Teaching in the Current Political Climate” Center for Research on Teaching and Learning at the University of Michigan
“Teaching and Learning in a Tense Election Season” Center for Research on Teaching and Learning at the University of Michigan
“Returning to the Classroom After the Election” Center for Research on Teaching and Learning at the University of Michigan Published after the 2016 election
“Let’s Talk Politics: Bias, Dialogue, and Critical Thinking” Anti-Defamation League This guide, published before the 2016 U.S. election, presents approaches and activities for teaching about elections.
“Teaching News Literacy in Politically Polarized Times” Andrea Baer and Jean Cook, Faculty Focus.com, February 13, 2019 This article offers perspectives on teaching strategies that foster critical thinking and media literacy skills within a supportive classroom environment; it includes examples of class activities.
“Knowing When to Teach Current Events” Noliwe M. Rooks, The Chronicle of Higher Education, September 22, 2014 This article offers five guiding questions to determine when and if it is appropriate to incorporate current and controversial topics into a course.
Student and Institutional Engagement in Political Life Special issue of Diversity & Democracy, Institute for Democracy & higher Education and the Association of American Colleges and Universities, vol. 18, no. 4, 2015 “This issue highlights practices that advance educational goals related to political learning and explores the various roles that students, faculty, and administrators can play in creating a politically engaged and socially just democracy.”
“Beyond Polarization: How to have productive conversations in an era of extremism” Jason Jay, MIT Technology Review, October 23, 2018 This article explores how to balance seeking common ground while taking and maintaining firm political stands. It also offers practical tips for engaging with the other side.
“Running Class Discussions on Divisive Topics is Tricky. Here’s One Promising Approach” The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 19, 2018 This edition of the Chronicle’s teaching newsletter describes one instructor’s use of Reflective Structured Dialogue to meaningfully discuss current events in the classroom.
“Improving Dialogue Across the Political Divide” Laura Hoxworth, UVAToday, August 16, 2019 In this interview, Rachel Wahl discusses her research on how people learn from each other across deep political divides, including how we can work to cultivate healthy dialogue on college campuses.
“Don’t Ignore Your Republican Students” Nikki Usher, The Chronicle of Higher Education, February 22, 2017 In this article, Usher describes the politically polarized environment that grew in her class post-2016-election, and she urges faculty not to allow their conservative students to feel silenced.
“Professor, Do Your Job” Stanley Fish, Policy Review (August/September 2008) This article argues that classrooms and institutions of higher education are not appropriate venues for partisan, political discourse, and political topics should only be discussed in an “academicized” way.
“Politics in the Classroom: How Much is Too Much?” Steve Drummond, npr.org, December 16, 2015 In this interview, Diana E. Hess and Paula McAvoy, authors of The Political Classroom: Evidence and Ethics in Democratic Education, discuss how instructors can walk the fine line required to create and maintain a political, but non-partisan classroom.
On Being / Civil Conversations Project
I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening) Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers
Breaking Through Gridlock: The Power of Conversation in a Polarized World Jason Jay and Gabriel Grant (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2017) This book shares “clear-cut and actionable pathways for having difficult conversations that matter...With proven exercises and rich examples, this interactive ‘field guide’ walks readers through a process of transforming paralysis and effecting positive change.”
How to Talk About Hot Topics on Campus: From Polarization to Moral Conversation Robert J. Nask, DeMethra LaSha Bradley, and Arthur W. Chickering (Jossey-Bass, 2008) The authors describe the practice of moral conversation—“an open and frank talking together in order to seek mutual understanding and harmony”—as a way to address volatile topics on campus, from the point of view of a faculty member, student affairs staff person, and a senior administrator.
The Political Classroom: Evidence and Ethics in Democratic Education Diana E. Hess and Paula McAvoy (Routledge, 2014) The authors explore what good practice looks like in the political classroom, findings about what students experience and learn in these classes, why this work is particularly challenging in today’s political climate, and ethical dilemmas that arise during classroom political discussion. The book is based on findings from a large, mixed-method study about political discussions within high school classrooms.
Agreements for Multicultural Interactions

Actions for Civic Engagement

Create Change by Building Relationships

Contemplation and Political Action: An Ignatian Guide to Civic Engagement The Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. The document is a reflection on how our faith and Ignatian values might guide our pursuit of the common good in the public square.
Better Arguments Project "The Better Arguments Project is a national civic initiative created to help bridge divides – not by papering over those divides but by helping people have better arguments."
We are Weavers "We believe relationships can transform our lives and our communities… and ultimately mend our deeply divided nation. We work in our neighborhoods and towns to create connections and lead with love. The Weave Project connects and supports us."
Free Intelligent Conversation Free Intelligent Conversation is a non-profit organization that facilitates engaging conversations in public places.
BridgeUSA We’re investing in the future of democracy by developing the next generation of engaged and constructive citizens.
Braver Angels We Bring Reds, Blues and Others Together To Talk, Listen, and Understand
Stanford’s America in One Room, a Deliberative Poll®
One Small Step Initiative, StoryCorps “One Small Step” aims to bring people with different political views together in conversation in order “to break down boundaries created by politics and remember our shared humanity.” The website includes featured stories and a guide for holding your own “one small step” conversation using the StoryCorps app.
Lean In Circles "Circles are small groups of women who come together regularly to mentor and support each other. Right now, Circles are meeting virtually to support each other through the Covid-19 crisis—by connecting over shared experiences, giving and receiving advice, and problem-solving together."

Advocate for Change

Resources for campus advocacy

10 Ways to Fight Hate on Campus: A Response Guide for College Activists

The Chicago Principles
Campus Free Speech Guide - Pen America "Free speech has become a flashpoint for controversy on campuses across the U.S. This go-to resource for faculty, staff, and students provides practical, principled guidance for how campuses can best remain open to all voices. "
FIRE - Foundation for Individual Rights in Education "The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education's mission is to defend and sustain the individual rights of students and faculty members at America’s colleges and universities. These rights include freedom of speech, freedom of association, due process, legal equality, religious liberty, and sanctity of conscience — the essential qualities of liberty."
Campus Free Expresssion Project The Bipartisan Policy Center's Campus Free Expression Project "believes a free and open society depends upon the free and open exchange of ideas, promotes campus policies and programs that foster a safe and welcoming environment for robust intellectual exchange."
Heterodox Academy "We are a non-partisan collaborative of more than 25,000 professors, administrators, and graduate students committed to enhancing the quality and impact of research--and improving education--by promoting open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement in institutions of higher learning."

Professional organizations can be arenas for advocacy. Below are some examples.

American Historical Association - Advocacy "In a wide range of situations, whether involving the rights and careers of individual historians, historical practice in diverse venues, or the role of history in public culture, the American Historical Association has the responsibility to take public stands." See this site for recent AHA actions.
American Nurses Association - Advocacy "ANA believes that advocacy is a pillar of nursing. Nurses instinctively advocate for their patients, in their workplaces, and in their communities; but legislative and political advocacy is no less important to advancing the profession and patient care."

Resources on contacting elected officials

"Yes, Your Emails to Congress Matter" A message from the National Humanities Alliance. Robert Bowen, Perspectives on History, Nov 1, 2016

Understand Issues

The Flip Side "Every day, we scour 30+ publications to find the most thoughtful and informed perspectives on major issues. In a daily 5-minute email, you'll get the big picture of what's happening from the left and right. And feel on top of our ever-changing political world—all in time for your morning coffee ;)"
Pantsuit Politics "A bipartisan political podcast co-hosted by two women. Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers bring a nuanced perspective to discussions about politics."
ProCon.org The mission of this independent nonprofit is “promoting critical thinking, education, and informed citizenship by presenting controversial issues in a straightforward, nonpartisan, primarily pro-con format.” The website includes professionally researched overviews of 80 issues that are controversial and important to many Americans; each overview aims to reflect a broad range of perspectives and opinions that span the breadth of the debate surrounding an issue.
CommonSense American Together, we bring common sense to American politics in four steps. 1. Identify Issues 2. Develop briefs 3. Weigh in 4. Share your own views
National Institute for Civil Discourse "At NICD, we believe the American people will be our saving grace. We are less divided than we seem and hungrier for a more constructive approach to politics. NICD has developed a multi-faceted strategy to channel Americans’ yearning into a coherent and powerful force. Our bold vision, compelling strategy, and high-profile board members combine to set NICD apart as a leader in this movement. In addition to inspiring and organizing everyday Americans, our strategy is designed to encourage elected leaders to put country ahead of partisanship."
Bipartisan Policy Center "The Bipartisan Policy Center has been in the arena for more than a decade, fighting for progress on issues that matter to American families."

Develop Classroom Materials

Educating for American Democracy "Educating for American Democracy (EAD) is an unprecedented effort that convened a diverse and cross-ideological group of scholars and educators to create a Roadmap to Educating for American Democracy— guidance and an inquiry framework that states, local school districts, and educators can use to transform teaching of history and civics to meet the needs of a diverse 21st century K–12 student body."

Get Out the Vote--and Study the Vote

Voting is an Act of Love "Ignatian Solidarity Network has partnered with When We All Vote to provide voter registration resources. When We All Vote is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization that is on a mission to increase participation in every election and close the race and age voting gap."
The National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) " The National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement (NSLVE) offers colleges and universities an opportunity to learn their student registration and voting rates and, for interested campuses, a closer examination of their campus climate for political learning and engagement and correlations between specific student learning experiences and voting."
Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) Comprehensive data and analysis on young people's participation and influence on elections, including data on 2020.

Xavier Information

Faculty Handbook (Section V on Academic Freedom)
University Protocol for Campus Speakers and Public Events
Faculty and Staff: Lobbying, Political and Campaign Activities Policy
Student Lobbying, Political and Campaign Activities Policy
Seeking Integration and Wisdom: The Xavier Way Developed in 2013-2014. "What is the shape of the world as our Xavier students encounter it today? And what are the distinctive gifts that Xavier University brings to bear in response to the signs of our times?"

Take It On: Reading

Introduction

Why It's Worth It to Engage in Dialogue

Why It's Needed

General

Politics & Partisanship

On the Media

Skills & Tools for Effective Dialogue

General

Mindfulness and Embodied Practices

Discussing Politics in the Classroom

Actions for Civic Engagement

Create Change by Building Relationships

Advocate for Change

Understand Issues

Develop Classroom Materials

Get Out the Vote--and Study the Vote

Xavier Information