Helping our students discern and respond to political disagreement

February 22, 2024

My current research explores tolerance for political disagreement on social media with friends and family. This topic resonates with our students. They experience tension when viewing incongruent political social media posts from classmates, roommates, friends, and family.
 
In 2022/2023 two communication majors, Lin DeGraaf and Haley Morgan, worked with me as research co-authors. We surveyed 168 Xavier students testing a revised version of the Tolerance for Disagreement scale adapted to Instagram. This measure determines how individuals can handle conflict (Tevin et al., 1998). Tolerance for disagreement is exacerbated by social media, and politics is a topic with low tolerance. Students expressed intentions to cancel people on social media by unfriending, unfollowing, and blocking accounts; common responses to political messages that fall outside our latitude of acceptance. With this common approach to people with different attitudes, we ask: how can we help educate and guide our students?
 
Our digital world has facilitated participatory cultures and social movements where strangers can come together and connect. Our colleague, Dr. Ashley Hinck, has extensively studied the impact and process of political fandom. It can offer an opportunity to form community and build greater political activism.
 
Tolerance for political disagreement on social media is relevant to our students’ lives. Enmeshed in a low tolerance social media culture, canceling those with differences is common. Tensions are rising with our nation’s presidential election and, as teachers, we should reflect on how we guide our students’ discernment and responses to differences. Students’ relational development should include the ability to process ideas and attitudes different than their own. Our efforts to educate students on these matters could help resolve conflicts, manage discussions more effectively, and maintain relationships.
 
How can we best guide our students to discern and respond to difficult conversations? Xavier’s Take it On initiative, currently led by our colleague Dr. Andrew Zolides provides a framework for healthy conversations. This includes a call to be curious, present, open, and honest. Learning these principles can help improve our process of discernment and communication effectiveness. Especially as we move forward in an election year, I encourage you to consider how your classroom approach contributes to building tolerance for political disagreement in our students.

Dr. Thomas Wagner
Professor and Chair, Communication Department