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I took this notes. Journalist Amanda Ripley says that "Complexity is contagious" and that "Complicating the narrative means finding and including the details t

I took this notes. Journalist Amanda Ripley says that "Complexity is contagious" and that "Complicating the narrative means finding and including the details that don’t fit the [binary] narrative — on purpose." So in some study participants talk about polarizing issue. Before talking they read one article about it. If article is similar to news article with 2 sides to the story, participants take sides, argue and leave with negative impression that conversation is meaningless. If article is similar to anthropologist’s field notes, with emphasis on complexity of the issue and without binary division, then participants “don’t solve the debate” but "do have a more nuanced understanding and more willingness to continue the conversation" researcher and social psychologist Peter T. Coleman says. Then in a long case study of some american talk show some specialists propose general questions to bring more nuance to conversations. What divides us? What is oversimplified about this issue? How has this conflict affected your life? What do you think the other side wants? What’s the question nobody is asking? What do you and your supporters need to learn about the other side in order to understand them better? What do you think the other community thinks of you? What do you think of the other community? What do you want the other community to know about you? What do you want to know about the other community?

extralego 8y ago
Nice notes. I think the ‘other community’ notion can be thrown out, though, in favor of the anthropologist approach. I have been practicing engaging with people who are culturally extremely different from me and learned the anthropologist approach works great when introduced with some humility. The other party gets curious and ideally asks the important questions themselves. Instead of a debate, it becomes more like fixing a car or computer together.
- mcprwklzpq 8y ago
  Yes, 'other community' questions imply binary division on issue. I think this questions were proposed to a mediator between the debating parties to try to move conversation into more productive direction. This questions aren't that useful when you start a conversation and can frame it not as a debate.
eutropia 8y ago
Note: in the study they read an article about a different polarizing topic before the conversation, not an article about the topic they were about to discuss
- mcprwklzpq 8y ago
  Oh, then i read and understood it wrong. I did not think that article about different topic would make any difference.

extralego 8y ago

Nice notes. I think the ‘other community’ notion can be thrown out, though, in favor of the anthropologist approach. I have been practicing engaging with people who are culturally extremely different from me and learned the anthropologist approach works great when introduced with some humility. The other party gets curious and ideally asks the important questions themselves. Instead of a debate, it becomes more like fixing a car or computer together.

mcprwklzpq 8y ago
Yes, 'other community' questions imply binary division on issue. I think this questions were proposed to a mediator between the debating parties to try to move conversation into more productive direction. This questions aren't that useful when you start a conversation and can frame it not as a debate.

eutropia 8y ago

Note: in the study they read an article about a different polarizing topic before the conversation, not an article about the topic they were about to discuss

mcprwklzpq 8y ago
Oh, then i read and understood it wrong. I did not think that article about different topic would make any difference.