To Create Change, Understand Your Opposition
For example, within democratic education circles, we know what we believe and why it makes sense. However, we don't necessarily know what others believe about education, and why it makes sense to them to believe those things.
I listen to a lot of Republican talk radio -- not really because I want to, but because my dad is frequently the one driving me around, and he likes to listen to it. And here's the crazy thing: a lot of what they say isn't crazy. It makes sense. A lot of what they say IS crazy, too, but I think the core principles that motivate them are very sound. And I believe that, even having NOT been indoctrinated and taught to believe those things. So if that's how I feel about what I hear on conservative talk radio, how must the people who believe in those values feel about them? They must seem sacred, or at the very least fundamentally unchallengeable.
I have to cite a little obligatory "Art of War" here, being a strategy nerd. To paraphrase, if someone has a different viewpoint than you, particularly an opposing one, it's important to understand it before trying to share your own perspective. If you know your audience, you'll be a lot more successful in getting your own point across.
With that in mind, I think we need to ask a question before we try to advance democratic education into a mainstream focus, and before we introduce our ideas to people unfamiliar with or opposed to it. And that is: “We know what we want and why it makes sense to want these things, but do we know what other people want and why it makes sense to them to believe those things?
It seems like a broad question, but I think it's doable -- perhaps even by simply asking them."What do you want, and how were you taught you could do it?”
Until we ask this question -- and by getting that question answered, understand our potential ‘opposition' -- I think that any attempts to make changes that are important are going to meet unnecessary and potent obstacles.
What do you guys think about this?
Posted in Philosophy of Education on Nov 20, 2009 - 06:30 PM
I believe that there's something that's important for us to keep in mind when it comes to sharing democratic education with the mainstream. We know what we believe, and why we think the things we believe in are important. Of course we do. But have you ever felt that it's difficult to try to convince others -- moderate or uninformed people, and especially people with conservative backgrounds -- of why your viewpoint makes sense?For example, within democratic education circles, we know what we believe and why it makes sense. However, we don't necessarily know what others believe about education, and why it makes sense to them to believe those things.
I listen to a lot of Republican talk radio -- not really because I want to, but because my dad is frequently the one driving me around, and he likes to listen to it. And here's the crazy thing: a lot of what they say isn't crazy. It makes sense. A lot of what they say IS crazy, too, but I think the core principles that motivate them are very sound. And I believe that, even having NOT been indoctrinated and taught to believe those things. So if that's how I feel about what I hear on conservative talk radio, how must the people who believe in those values feel about them? They must seem sacred, or at the very least fundamentally unchallengeable.
I have to cite a little obligatory "Art of War" here, being a strategy nerd. To paraphrase, if someone has a different viewpoint than you, particularly an opposing one, it's important to understand it before trying to share your own perspective. If you know your audience, you'll be a lot more successful in getting your own point across.
With that in mind, I think we need to ask a question before we try to advance democratic education into a mainstream focus, and before we introduce our ideas to people unfamiliar with or opposed to it. And that is: “We know what we want and why it makes sense to want these things, but do we know what other people want and why it makes sense to them to believe those things?
It seems like a broad question, but I think it's doable -- perhaps even by simply asking them."What do you want, and how were you taught you could do it?”
Until we ask this question -- and by getting that question answered, understand our potential ‘opposition' -- I think that any attempts to make changes that are important are going to meet unnecessary and potent obstacles.
What do you guys think about this?
Tags for this entry:
critical thinking and analysis,
questioning,
opposition,
art of war
Melia Dicker
Nov 21, 2009 - 05:02 PM
You make a great point about needing to understand where your opponents are coming from before trying to change their minds. This entails compassionate listening and a desire to understand, rather than to win.
When it comes to education, people’s beliefs tend to be so deep-seated that they don’t realize where they began, and take them for granted instead of looking at them critically. People can make a lot of assumptions about education: that kids need to be taught in classrooms to read and write and do math, or they’ll never learn them; that kids need to go to school, in classrooms with desks and a teacher at the front.
I’ve realized that if we adults are going to re-envision the possibilities for education, we must catch ourselves in our assumptions and ask where they started, and if they’re true. If I assume that kids need homework to learn, for example, I can remember how useless I found my chemistry homework when I was a student. Then, perhaps I’ll reconsider its value for the young people I teach and will eventually parent.
I think the “Us vs. Them” mentality is often a false dichotomy, and that people actually share more values than they would think, if they would check their egos and just stop and listen to the people they’re arguing with.