Bridging Divides: Polarization and Conflict
Polarization and Conflict
When we kicked off The Compass Series, we asked what gave you hope and what your concerns were. (Read a few of the quotes here.) We heard a range of emotions and fears about immediate impacts on people and the long-term concerns for science and our society. How misinformation and echo chambers are fueling division. How the laws and systems of governing our democracy are being tested. How science continues on the route of becoming a political issue. How relationships from our own backyards to across the globe feel stressed. As one person wrote, "I am concerned that the current polarized approaches will focus on "otherism" where people try to protect themselves by attacking anyone who is different. Together we are stronger, and kindness should be the default approach.”
Building on this thought, this week we are bringing you Bridging Divides: Polarization & Conflict.
Our current media and political environment often amplify division and reinforce in- and out-group dynamics, such as the Left versus the Right. The challenge, however, is that we are suffering from a perception gap, where we overestimate how extreme we think someone else’s political view is, which can pull us further into a narrative that leads to greater division. In reality, many of us want to work together to find common ground and move forward as a community and society. So, in a world where the loudest voices grab the most attention, can we find a pathway where debate doesn’t turn into intractable conflict? Where our values can be discussed, and a sense of unity can move us forward?
LISTEN: Bridging Divides with Stephen Hawkins
Stephen Hawkins, Global Director of Research at More in Common, sits down with Institute Executive Director, Kristan Uhlenbrock, to discuss the roots of political polarization, the perception gap that exists about division in our society, how we should be rethinking our media diet, and a few things we could all do to find greater unity.
Stephen has served as the Director of Research for More in Common since the organization’s founding in 2016, overseeing studies on the psychology of political division in nine countries. Prior to joining More in Common, Stephen conducted public opinion research for Fortune 100 companies, United Nations agencies, electoral campaigns and political movements. Currently based in Washington D.C., he holds a master’s degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
WATCH: Reducing Polarization Webinar
"We see that Democrats and Republicans felt pretty neutral towards each other 30 or 40 years ago. But since then, that dislike has really grown."
This quote by Polarization and Social Change researcher Jan Voekel from the Institute's 2023 roundtable on Reducing Polarization illustrates the increasing power of political identity leading up to the last presidential election. Watch our discussion on the different types of polarization, the perception gap between parties, the roots of our current divisiveness, and new ideas for reducing polarization.
The panelists include Jan G. Voelkel, a researcher at the Polarization and Social Change Lab at Stanford University, Laura Frank, Executive Director of the Colorado News Collaborative, and Stephen Hawkins, Global Director of Research for More in Common.
Watch
READ: Avoiding your neighbor because of how they voted? Democracy needs you to talk to them instead
"Political anger breaks our social networks."
In this article, Betsy Sinclair, Professor and Chair of Political Science at Washington University in St. Louis, examines how the anger you feel towards the opposite political party makes you avoid people with those views. However, she explains that true democracy challenges us to understand those around us and seek what is in the collective best interest, no matter whom you voted for in the last election.
Read
TOOL: Roadmap to Better Decisions
"Too often, we hear something that makes us uncomfortable and wait to process it until we're back in our own comfortable echo chambers. It was a great moment for practicing patience and listening." Convening participant
As both polarization and perceptions of polarization increase, it remains a pillar of The Institute’s work to convene diverse groups of people to engage in conversations about complex societal issues and build relationships across divides. However, these conversations are often hard, emotional and messy.
For example, in 2022, we convened a group of leaders to discuss solutions to the grand challenge of managing water resources in Colorado. The Roadmap to Better Decisions uses that intense convening process as a case study and provides a framework to change the way you work on difficult issues, no matter the context of the problem at hand.
Get the guide
ENGAGE: The Social Fabric Project
"How can you build trust where you live? Start weaving connections."
Weave: The Social Fabric Project was created in 2018 by the Aspen Institute to address a “crisis of broken social trust” that left Americans divided, isolated, and unable to address common needs. Their Social Trust Index Map shows the strength of trust, intentions, and spaces mapped across neighborhoods all across the country. Take a look at the map, plug in your zip code, and see how your neighborhood has, or has not, created an ecosystem that supports building trust and relationships in the community. From there, consider ways in which you can get involved in your community, build connections and form relationships that bridge divides and reduce conflict locally.
Engage
BONUS: Polarization, Democracy, and Political Violence in the United States: What the Research Says
"Should polarization be solved or tolerated?"
What can we do about polarization in the United States? Are we on the brink of civil war, or do we overestimate how much we disagree? Those are some of the core questions answered in research conducted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. And the results may surprise you! Go deep on the key facts about polarization in the U.S. today, as well as the "emerging understanding of polarization as both a social phenomenon and a political strategy."
Go deep
Subscribe to our email newsletter
Sign up to receive our monthly newsletter. We'll also let you know about upcoming events and content launches.