Blue States/Red States: The Cultural/Political Divide and Depolarization

Chairs:

Tamara Bisbee, M.A., M.S., Private Practice, Hardwick, Vermont
Lorraine Mangione, Ph.D., Professor, Antioch University New England, Keene, New Hampshire
 

The bitter polarization and extreme partisan politics in this country are viewed as destructive toward civil society, democratic processes, and effective decision-making. The lens of clinical group dynamics, large group theory, social psychology of groups, and Buddhist philosophy frames our discussion and practicing of difficult conversations across the divide.

didactic-demonstration-experiential-sharing of work experiences

Learning Objectives:

The attendee will be able to:
1. Identify some of the group forces that divide and polarize a population, small groups, or two-person relationships.
2. Apply social psychology concepts to the cultural/political divide in the United States.
3. Demonstrate some strategies from conflict resolution and Buddhist philosophy for depolarizing in difficult situations.
 

Course References:  

1. Volkan, V. (2004). Blind trust: Large groups and their leaders in times of crisis and terror. Los Angeles, CA: Pitchstone Publishing.
2. McCauley, C., & Segal, M. (1987). Social psychology of terrorist groups. In C. Hendrick (Ed.), Review of personality and social psychology: Group process and intergroup relations (pp. 231-256). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
3. Anderson, R., Cissna, K. N., and Arnett, R. C. (1994). The Reach of Dialogue: Confirmation, voice and community. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press
4. Chasin, R. and Herzig, M. (1999). Creating systemic interventions for the sociopolitical arena. In B. Berger-Gould and D. Demuth (eds.), The Global Family Therapist: Integrating the personal, professional and political. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.