Education toward cosmopolitanism as a pathway to reducing polarisation
Abstract
Polarisation poses significant challenges to societal cohesion and democracy. This article explores how education, guided by cosmopolitan principles, can address these divides by fostering empathy, promoting intercultural dialogue, and challenging exclusionary narratives. This article advances the concept of rooted cosmopolitanism by demonstrating how local cultural attachments can complement global ethical principles by balancing particularistic and universalistic values. Through examples of case studies conducted in Canada, Israel, and India, this article highlights the adaptability of cosmopolitan education in diverse sociopolitical contexts and illustrates how education can bridge divides, promote mutual respect, and foster unity in diversity. The practical strategies include integrating global and local perspectives into curricula, promoting experiential learning to engage with diversity, and equipping educators with cultural competence and anti-bias tools. While resistance to change and resource constraints persist, the findings underscore education’s transformative potential to reduce polarisation and cultivate inclusive, equitable communities. This calls for sustained efforts to embed rooted cosmopolitan principles into education, by providing a framework for bridging divides and preparing students to navigate an interconnected world.
The effects of listening on speaker and listener while talking about character strengths: an open science school-wide collaboration
Tia Moin, Netta Weinstein, Guy Itzchakov, Amanda Branson, Beth Law, Lydia Yee, Emma Pape, Rebecca Y. M. Cheung, Anthony Haffey, Bhismadev Chakrabarti and Philip Beaman
Listening
Listening is understood to be a foundational element in
practices that rely on effective conversations, but there is
a gap in our understanding of what the effects of highquality
listening are on both the speaker and listener.
This registered report addressed this gap by training one
group of participants to listen well as speakers discuss
their character strengths, allowing us to isolate the role
relational listening plays in strengths-based conversations.
Participants were paired and randomly assigned to a highquality
listening (experimental) or moderate-quality listening
(comparison) condition manipulated through a validated
video-based training. High-quality listening predicted a
more constructive relational experience; specifically, positivity
resonance. Intrapersonal experiences (perceived authenticity
and state anxiety) were not affected. Those who engaged
in high-quality listening expressed a behavioural intention
to continue listening, but condition did not predict a
behavioural intention for speakers to continue applying
character strengths. This is the first evidence of positivity
resonance as a shared outcome between both a speaker and listener when the listener conveys high-quality (as opposed to ‘everyday’) listening. These early
findings merit further study with stronger listening manipulations to explore the potential role
of listening within interpersonal communication, and inform the applied psychological sciences
(counselling, psychotherapy, coaching, organizational, education).
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Attitudes in an interpersonal context: Psychological safety as a route to attitude change
Guy Itzchakov, Kenneth G. DeMarree
Attitudes
Interpersonal contexts can be complex because they can involve two or more
people who are interdependent, each of whom is pursuing both individual
and shared goals. Interactions consist of individual and joint behaviors
that evolve dynamically over time. Interactions are likely to affect people’s
attitudes because the interpersonal context gives conversation partners a
great deal of opportunity to intentionally or unintentionally influence each
other.
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