Talking Across Difference and Difficulty

Core Principles

Every aspect of our work at Columbia Public Health is anchored in the core values of public health. Guided by a commitment to equity, we actively seek to create an inclusive environment that engages and celebrates all members of our community.

Our Values

We emphasize the importance of critical pedagogy as the methodology by which faculty and students can challenge and dismantle unequal power dynamics in the classroom, forming a true community in which experts and learners work together to create new knowledge. This kind of classroom climate is essential if productive conversations are to occur, especially those that involve challenging content.

Goals for Dialogue

• To learn about the perspectives of someone who differs from you
• To gain a sense of satisfaction about how you conveyed your views
• To discover some common ground (if it exists or can be developed)

Four Skills

1. Setting a constructive tone

• Let the other person know you want to learn about different perspectives.
• Ask permission to pose questions.
• Acknowledge your own point of view ("as you know, I'm liberal/conservative/etc.")

2. Listening so others feel heard

• Paraphrase what the other says to make sure that you understand and the other person feels heard.
• Ask real questions of understanding (versus loaded questions).

3. Speaking in a way that helps others hear

• Mention an area of similarity or agreement (if you see one).
• Before expressing a disagreement, say some version of "I hear you" (if you do).

4. Navigating ruptures

• Stay focused on a topic when the other person jumps around from issue to issue. ("Can we stay with immigration for now?")
• Don't return provocative statements in kind.

We invite faculty and doctoral students who are teaching to join us for these workshops. Inviations are sent via email.