{"id":60258,"date":"2021-11-15T05:15:45","date_gmt":"2021-11-15T10:15:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=60258"},"modified":"2021-11-30T23:38:06","modified_gmt":"2021-12-01T04:38:06","slug":"how-to-function-in-an-increasingly-polarized-society","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/how-to-function-in-an-increasingly-polarized-society\/","title":{"rendered":"How to function in an increasingly polarized society"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\nPolitical\u00a0polarization has been an increasing topic of concern<\/a>\u00a0for people in many areas of their lives, rearing its head in everything from family get-togethers to workplace relationships and election campaigns.<\/p>\n

The COVID-19 crisis\u00a0has demonstrated that polarization<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 extremes in opinions and\/or an erosion of a more moderate political centre \u2014\u00a0can have real life-and-death consequences<\/a>. How to manage the stress of polarization and how to function when it surrounds us is now a necessary but underdeveloped skill for many of us.<\/p>\n

To function in an increasingly polarized society, we first need to know the source of the division. In politics, we often assume that disagreement stems from conflicts over policy directions.<\/p>\n

Political science literature, however,\u00a0disputes this notion<\/a>. In fact, it\u2019s not disagreement over policy that drives polarization, but rather our emotional feelings and perceptions about the nature of the world around us.<\/p>\n

This is the compelling argument behind the book\u00a0Prius or Pickup? How the Answers to Four Simple Questions Explain America\u2019s Great Divide<\/em>, by American political scientists Marc Hetherington and Jonathan Weiler<\/a>. Their work demonstrates how our emotional responses to ideas and events is deeply connected to our world views.<\/p>\n

Four questions<\/strong><\/h4>\n

We can gain significant insight into our own ideas on the nature of the world and how it relates to the views of others by answering some questions on childrearing:
\nWhich of the following qualities are most important for children to have?
\n<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Independence versus respect for elders<\/li>\n
  2. Obedience versus self-reliance<\/li>\n
  3. Curiosity versus good manners<\/li>\n
  4. Being considerate versus being well-behaved<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    <\/em><\/p>\n

    The more focused an individual is on respect, obedience, good manners and good behaviour, the more likely they are to hold what Hetherington and Weiler identify as a \u201cfixed\u201d world view.<\/p>\n

    The more emphasis an individual places on independence, self-reliance, curiosity and being considerate, the more likely they are to hold a \u201cfluid\u201d world view.<\/p>\n

    The basis for these differences is emotional or \u201caffective.\u201d Those of us who gravitate to the fixed end of the spectrum tend to regard the world as a dangerous place full of threats, while people who gravitate to the fluid end tend to see the world as a safe place to explore.<\/p>\n

    Of course, many people in society are somewhere in the middle and our position on the spectrum may change with life experiences that influence our perceptions. What\u2019s critical, however, is understanding that the differences stem from our emotional sense of the world rather than issues or political positions.<\/p>\n

    Gut-level disagreement<\/strong><\/h4>\n

    As Hetherington and Weiler explain<\/a>:
    \n\u201cWhy is politics so polarized if people actually don\u2019t care all that much on the issues? If people don\u2019t really care very much about politics, maybe they\u2019re not necessarily extreme on the issues. But here\u2019s the thing: What if you just completely understand the world differently from those on the other side in your guts?\u201d<\/em>
    \nThis kind of gut-level disagreement poses much bigger challenges because not only is there disagreement on how to handle a problem\u00a0    like the COVID-19 response<\/a>, but the nature of the problem itself is disputed.<\/p>\n

    The COVID-19 polarization we\u2019re seeing illustrates this dynamic. Those against COVID-19 vaccination view government mandates, public health restrictions and the citizens who support them as the problem at hand. As a result, it\u2019s these measures and individuals that become the target for their emotional response.<\/p>\n

    Those in favour of vaccine mandates and other public health measures, in turn, are likely to view anti-vaxxers and those who violate public health orders as the source of the problem.<\/p>\n

    How then do we function when we encounter these emotionally driven divides? There are no easy fixes, but there are a few strategies that can help manage the stress and can de-escalate the impact of this kind of conflict in our day-to-day lives.<\/p>\n

    Strategies for de-escalation<\/strong><\/h4>\n

    First, recognizing the emotional basis is key even when we consider our own views to be science-informed. Realizing that those with whom we disagree are often coming from a place of fear and anxiety can help lower frustration and is one step towards developing empathy and\/or compassion for their position. This does not mean agreeing with them, but simply creating space to validate their emotional experience.<\/p>\n

    Early in my previous training to be a social worker, I discounted the\u00a0value of validation<\/a>. Once practising in the \u201creal world,\u201d however, I quickly realized the value that comes from listening to someone\u2019s emotional perception, recognizing it and reflecting it back.<\/p>\n

    Phrases like \u201cthat must be frustrating\u201d or \u201cthat must be very difficult\u201d might seem trite in the abstract, but they are invaluable tools when shared genuinely in various kinds of interactions, and they can immediately lower tension.<\/p>\n

    While this practice alone will not transform viewpoints, it\u2019s an important skill we can employ to maintain relations with others who hold different world views \u2014 and can help prevent further alienation.<\/p>\n

    That\u2019s a small but necessary step if we want to avoid functioning in echo chambers in which we only interact with those who already agree with us.<\/p>\n

    Author Bio:<\/strong> Fiona MacDonald is an Assistant Professor, Political Science at the University of Northern British Columbia<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Political\u00a0polarization has been an increasing topic of concern\u00a0for people in many areas of their lives, rearing its head in everything from family get-togethers to workplace relationships and election campaigns. The COVID-19 crisis\u00a0has demonstrated that polarization\u00a0\u2014 extremes in opinions and\/or an erosion of a more moderate political centre \u2014\u00a0can have real life-and-death consequences. How to manage […]\n… learn more→<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[85],"tags":[422072],"coauthors":[11733],"class_list":["post-60258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-social-change","tag-polarized-society"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to function in an increasingly polarized society - World leading higher education information and services<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/world.edu\/how-to-function-in-an-increasingly-polarized-society\/\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to function in an increasingly polarized society - World leading higher education information and services\" class=\"yoast-seo-meta-tag\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Political\u00a0polarization has been an increasing topic of concern\u00a0for people in many areas of their lives, rearing its head in everything from family get-togethers to workplace relationships and election campaigns. 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