Transformative Conversations

We seem to live in an ever more divided society, with growing narratives of division and blame. Meanwhile social media is ever more toxic, and women who enter politics, or just express an opinion, are often subject to vile abuse. Yet we won’t change this culture simply by shouting louder. We need to develop the skills to listen, and disagree, well. This unit looks at the reasons why myth-busting and fact-checking are so seldom successful at changing people’s minds, and how we can build empathy with people we disagree with as the start of a genuine conversation about their views. Because in short, no-one really changes their views when they feel they were being attacked for holding them. So yes, if you want to reduce the prevalence of racism (or other oppressive ideologies) you are going to have to listen to a lot of unpleasant ideas. But listening is not a passive process. Listening, even when we disagree, is a validating process, validating the individual, if not their views, and it creates the opportunity to invite reflection on why those views are held, what evidence are they based on, and what would it be like to be part of the group that has been ‘othered’ by them.

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