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Book Club
May 4 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm PDT
Overcoming Polarization in the Public Square: Civic Dialogue
Join us for our next book club event! We’re excited to talk about Overcoming Polarization in the Public Square: Civic Dialogue with author Lauren Barthold. Reading the book ahead of time is not required, but we’re including a discount for the book if you would like to read it. The discussion will focus on Chapter 5 of the book, Power of Dialogue. We’ll talk about how dialogue is better suited to addressing polarization than forms of deliberation that utilize rational argumentation, persuasion and debate. We’ll go over some of the cognitive biases that impact our ability to reason and why, in light of these biases, efforts to persuade others rarely work. We will explore how a dialogue that focuses on the use of curious questions, authentic hearing and first-person stories helps build trust and connection across difference. As a result, we can reduce polarization and open up a space for productive civic discourse!
Bio: Lauren Swayne Barthold (PhD, Philosophy) is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Heathmere Center in Beverly, MA, a non-profit whose mission is to strengthen local communities through creative dialogue and education. The Center has been partnering with the local library to hold monthly Living Room Conversations. Lauren has also been a philosophy professor for over 20 years.
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