Urban-Rural Action, with support from Heterodox Academy, has done a series of workshops with college students on how to have dialogues across difference. The need for this training is clear. Students often go through school without having constructive conversations with people they disagree with, and research shows that they are often hesitant to express their views on divisive topics. In this episode, two students share what they learned from a recent workshop, what it's like trying to encourage thoughtful deliberation on their campus, and why that can be a challenge. A professor who has dedicated his career to promoting a culture of debate and deliberation describes how he goes about doing that inside and outside the classroom. We discuss the need for viewpoint diversity and constructive disagreement, and examine the state of public discourse on college and university campuses. 

Host: 

• Elia Powers (@eliapowers)

Learn More: 

• Urban-Rural Action (https://www.uraction.org/)


• Heterodox Academy (https://heterodoxacademy.org/)


• Program for Public Discourse at UNC (https://publicdiscourse.unc.edu/)


• 2021 Campus Expression Survey (https://heterodoxacademy.org/campus-expression-survey/)