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Living In A Polarized World

David McCandless and Stefanie Posavec via Flickr
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Left vs Right: A View of the Political Spectrum

When The Center Does Not Hold by David R. Brubaker
When The Center Does Not Hold by David R. Brubaker

Over the past forty years, society has gotten increasingly more polarized in regards to differing political and personal ideas.  David R. Brubaker, professor at Eastern Mennonite University, offers advice for navigating in our polarized environment.  He’s our speaker for WMRA's virtual Books & Brews on May 11, 2021.  David recently spoke with WMRA’s Chris Boros who asked him to describe what causes polarization.

David Brubaker:  When there is a significant gap between the rich and the poor in any country, it's more likely that they're also be political polarization because people feel aggrieved and feel left behind.  Secondly, is what we call identity threat or status threat. When people believe that they are falling behind socially, not just economically. And the third is, when there are leaders who articulate polarizing messages. And, again, this could be from the right or the left.

WMRA:  What do you say to the people who are caught in the middle - the people that aren't necessarily all left or all right?  They have lots of different viewpoints. How do they deal with being in this polarized world?

DB:  Yeah, the reality is there are always be people in the middle, even though in a polarized social system there are fewer people in the middle, but the 1/3 in the middle tends to lose their voice because they are hearing arguments from both ends of the spectrum, but they tend to become quiet. So it's important that we give people who are in the middle an opportunity to voice. Often, they're very familiar with both arguments but they're not themselves putting forward a counter-argument.

WMRA:  Do you deal with people who are polarized like someone on the left and someone on the right and how they can come together and still have a meaningful conversation without hateful rhetoric?

DB:  What's important is to recognize that neither fight nor flight is going to be a successful strategy but it is helpful if we can clearly articulate our own beliefs. So there are some issues that I feel strongly about, but I'm also very willing to listen to counter arguments and to respect people who disagree with my own perspective.

WMRA:  It seems that most people may not think the way you do though, they don't want to even hear the counter argument and that's a problem too, right?

David Brubaker
David Brubaker

DB:  Yes, in a polarized environment, it tends to escalate the level of conflict and people start to view those who disagree with them as enemies who need to be vanquished.  And that’s one of the greatest problems of the polarization dynamic is that we stop seeing those who disagree with us as human beings who deserve dignity and respect. And we see them instead as evil people who need to be moved out of the way.

WMRA:  What about in the work environment? Let's say you're a boss or you're a manager of a company and you're dealing with a polarized workplace, is that the same thing as dealing with polarization when it comes to political beliefs?

DB:  Yeah, we can polarize over almost anything. So we see currently the effects of political polarization in our country. But I've also worked with organizations where there have been polarizing dynamics in the organization and people have taken sides around particular issues, whatever they are. What is most helpful is to recognize that there are good people that have taken different positions because of their own beliefs and values. And sometimes, because of the information that they have, or don't have and what's needed is some kind of process of communication to bring them together not with any kind of a magic wand that expects instant results. But with the firm conviction that if we commit to a process of engagement, we should be able to work through those differences.

WMRA:  Do you think the internet and Facebook and Twitter and social media has actually made things worse?  It’s so easy to just call somebody an idiot that you don't agree with. I'm wondering what your view point is on social media.

DB:  There's little doubt that it has worsened the environment.  At the same time, polarization has been growing in this country since the late 1970s and particularly through the 80s prior to Facebook or any of the other social media companies. But it's made it worse simply because we are least likely to attack another human being when we are face to face with them and most likely to do so when all we see are their words on paper and we're responding to that.

WMRA:  And it's so easy too, especially on Twitter and Facebook, to be anonymous. You can just make a page and not put your picture in there and make a fake name and go trolling for two hours - that doesn't help anybody.

DB:  Clearly that has been the most destructive expression of social media.

WMRA:  When someone reads your new book, what do you hope they'll take away from reading it?

DB:  I think the main hope that I had in writing it was to recognize that all of us have leadership roles in some area of our lives.  So, how do we use those leadership roles to set a tone of dignity and respect?

Chris Boros is WMRA’s Program Director and local host from 10am-4pm Monday-Friday.
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