In my previous article, I shared some big-picture insights from ARTT research and the ARTT-LEO curriculum about communicating about contentious topics such as elections. The ARTT-LEO curriculum translates those insights into effective action by offering practical guidance.
This time I’d like to discuss “5 Cs” inspired by the ARTT-LEO curriculum that offer guidelines for engaging in political conversations: Curiosity, Concern, Core Values, Common Ground, and Creativity. These 5 Cs have led to one of the most valuable insights I’ve learned from the ARTT-LEO curriculum – keeping the lines of communication open creates opportunities for more conversations to come.
In political conversations, it’s easy to get caught up in making our points and asserting our worldview. ARTT-LEO’s tip on active listening reminded me of the importance of practicing curiosity about the other person’s point of view.
Not only can curious, open-ended questions make even contentious conflict “suddenly interesting again,” as Amanda Ripley says, but such questions offer an opportunity to demonstrate you truly value what the other person has to say. Focusing on learning more about where the other person is coming from is also a great way to take our previous advice and lower the stakes, and difficulty level, of the conversation.
ARTT-LEO’s tip on de-escalating by addressing someone’s personal, immediate concerns about an issue helped me realize that often when we talk about a contentious topic it doesn't necessarily mean the discussion is actually about that topic at all!
Instead, buzzy words and political euphemisms can hide why the other person really cares about the issue. We can try to engage in more meaningful communication about the concern underlying our conversation partner’s attitude towards a topic, instead of trading talking points.
Our tips on framing trustworthy information around the other person’s core values, such as freedom, fairness, safety, or care, opened my eyes to the deeply held motivations that underlie our view of the world.
By talking about not only the political topic, but the core values it invokes, you're much more likely to learn something new about each other, and the situation.
With such high, personal stakes, political conversations often become negative and conflict-oriented. One way to make difficult conversations easier is to find where you agree, allowing you to circle back to what’s positive and shared if needed. Even if it’s something really basic, that can still be a foundation for future conversations.
ARTT-LEO’s research has produced many possible tips for contentious conversations precisely because no one way of responding will work in every situation.
Many people get frustrated trying to only use one approach to communicating around contentious topics – countering rumors with true information, for instance – when it might be better to get creative and try different ways of engaging.
From sharing first-person stories, to emphasizing consensus around facts, get creative and try all of the different techniques for engaging and responding to contentious topics.
Why use what I’ve learned from the ARTT-LEO curriculum? For starters, it’s been a sanity saver: I can openly discuss our elections, and even my personal political interests, with friends and family. Even when our views diverge, I don’t have to feel the pressure to single-handedly change their minds.
It’s also helped me learn how to control what I can – where I’m coming from, and how I’m communicating (in ways research suggests build trust) – rather than trying to control the outcome of a conversation. That’s led the people in my life I care about come back for more information, and to continue the conversation.
Ultimately, that’s the most valuable lesson I’ve learned from ARTT-LEO: that keeping the lines of communication open creates future conversational possibilities while providing opportunities to build trust that would never be possible otherwise.
