In recent years, the United States has increasingly become more politically polarized. Many believe that this polarization threatens American democracy. Steven Klees, professor of international education policy and Distinguished Scholar-Teacher, pens an op-ed outlining an approach that could help address polarization in the United States.
We need a national dialogue, a national conversation between Republicans and Democrats to dial this extremism down, to understand each other better.
My university and many others sponsor what are called intergroup dialogues. IGDs bring together members of a community from diverse social identities — such as race, gender, sexual orientation, class, ability/disability or religion — that often have a history of conflict.
Their purpose is not to persuade, but to better understand the commonalities and differences between groups as well as to develop skills to foster dialogue and communication.
Read the rest at Baltimore Sun.
