What is polarization? Why does it create a barrier to communication? What examples of polarization have you experienced or read about?
What will be an ideal response?
- Polarization is the tendency to view things in terms of extremes-rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, large or small, high or low, good or bad, intelligent or stupid-even though most things exist somewhere in between. This either-or, black-or-white way of thinking is aggravated by aspects of language.
- Polarization can be destructive, escalating conflict to the point at which two parties simply cannot communicate. This escalation is referred to as the pendulum effect. The pendulum represents a person's perception of reality, which includes feelings, attitudes, opinions, and value judgments about the world. When the pendulum hangs in the center, a person's perception is considered realistic, virtuous, intelligent, sane, honest, and honorable. Of course, most of us believe that our pendulums are at or near the center most of the time. When two individuals disagree in their perceptions of reality, their pendulums begin to move in opposite directions. The distance the pendulum swings represents their differences in opinion or conviction. As the conversation intensifies, each remark provokes a stronger reaction from the party to whom it is directed until both parties are driven to positions at opposite extremes.
- Student examples will vary.
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