Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1495665
12 Unity SUNDAY 26 MARCH 2023 Student lives Dr Sue Vella Department of Social Policy and Social Work THAT many societies have become more polarised is well-documented. Successive Presidents, in Malta and be- yond, have called for unity in the face of hardening divides. A polarised system is one where the centre hollows out, as peo- ple's opinions and allegiances cluster more strongly, and fur- ther away, from a midpoint. Polarisation is different from party partiality; opposing views are not new and play an im- portant role in liberal democ- racies. Debate is more effective than suppression, and polar- ised views can mobilise action for important social change, as in for instance the case of civ- il rights in mid-20th century America. Difference is not the problem; indeed, some would argue there is too little political differentiation in an age where there seems to be no alternative to neoliberal capitalism. More problematic is the rise in 'sorting', where we increasingly congregate with others like our- selves, rarely encountering dif- ferent people in non-politicised spheres of life where bridges are built. While social identity theory suggests that we natu- rally build our identities and self-esteem through the groups we belong to, the distance be- tween groups appears to have hardened. This is often attrib- uted to a rise in identity poli- tics, which term is sometimes unfairly weaponised to dismiss the demand of marginalised groups to be afforded equal dig- nity. Understanding the subjec- tive 'lived experience' of specific groups, and how it is affected by legal, cultural and other structural forces, contributes to justice and empathy. Yet when non-partisan identities (such as gender, class and ethnicity) are drawn into partisan conflicts, partisanship becomes what Mason calls a 'mega-identity': political differences become personal, and more a threat to our self-esteem than a cause for debate. 1 Feeling threatened, we become less open to alternative views and see dissent as culpa- ble, even when we have a limit- ed understanding of others' be- liefs and why they hold them. 2 We become less committed to assuming the good faith of oth- ers, and social trust declines. The challenge lies in commit- ting to a more universal sense of identity and purpose. As Fuku- yama suggests, both lived expe- rience and shared experience must matter if we are to reach across cultural divides. 3 Redis- covering a sense of the collective is hindered by opportunistic 'us and them' discourse by hardline partisans, a discourse which can manipulate and inflame, mag- nifying imaginary conflicts and offering no peaceful remedy for real ones. Social media has am- plified the splintering, making it easier to circulate fake infor- mation and to smear one's op- ponents from a safe distance in ways that social norms would generally restrain us from do- ing face to face. Thus, we insu- late ourselves from people and opinions we don't like, reinforc- ing our tendency to only hear what we already believe and al- lowing our outrage to be stoked. Although I believe polarisation is less evident among our stu- dent body, I have come across a few instances which I now wish I had managed better. Here are a few disparate reflections. First is accepting that our stu- dents, like everyone else, may live in different moral universes with a different logic to our own. We must role-model evaluative pluralism; in Vallier's words, that "sincere and informed peo- ple can non-culpably disagree about many important matters, including what the good life consists in and what justice re- quires" (2020, p. 21). While we can rarely resolve conflicting views, we can learn to manage polarities to mutual benefit, while supporting the middle to use their voice too. I don't think we should avoid differences, which often harden in resentful silence. Engaging respectfully with non-mainstream and less popular viewpoints, and offer- ing challenge in a manner that affirms students, helps create a safe environment for them to differ in class and to develop confidence in their voice. Second, fostering students' debating skills helps them to be logical and articulate speakers. Debate, however, cannot be the only way we prepare students to communicate. Dialogue matters too, learning to listen rather than persuade; to build bridg- es without denying differences. Similarly, deliberative skills are needed, where students engage with each other's views while working together in common purpose. We can help students to be mindful of the impact of their words on others, remind- ing them, though, that while language certainly matters, it should not eclipse our assump- tion of others' goodwill and cause us to take offence too readily. Third, true critical thinking is widely informed and reasoned, and does not need inflammato- ry language and stereotyping of any sort. Singular social narra- tives run the risk of breeding in- tolerance. For instance, theories of group conflict have been cru- cial in explaining the dynamics of marginalisation, yet they are not the only narratives worthy of students' attention. Many people choose to organise their lives around principles other than power and self-interest, a view that I contend is empiri- cal rather than naïve. Besides, it is inconsistent to only val- orise those lived experiences that conform to our narratives. Students are better served when exposed to a broad spectrum of perspectives and encouraged to fact-check and to seek evidence, enabling them to be critics and not captives of ideologies. Lastly, we can encourage our students to read quality fiction. Shafak holds that stories bring us together, helping us con- nect with our multiple identi- ties and with those of others. 4 In her words, we should strive to explore our many belong- ings. Good fiction can help, No captives in our classrooms Reducing polarisation together Although I believe polarisation is less evident among our student body, I have come across a few instances which I now wish I had managed better. Here are a few disparate reflections