BlogComm
COMM 3030 - Communication and Social Responsibility
Polarizing Issues
Posted posted by Kyle @ 2:43 PM
The issues we have recently discussed in class- hurricane Katrina, global warming, and Wal-Mart- have become very controversial subjects with a profound ability to polarize people to opposite extremes. I remember a class discussion at the beginning of the semester where we talked of the negative effects of polarization in our society. A blatantly obvious example is our elected officials in government. Our system has been reduced to Republican vs. Democrat, right vs. left, and conservative vs. liberal with opponents at each other’s throat. It seems as though the only thing ever agreed on is vehement distaste for the “other side” and their respective views. Not surprisingly, the result is almost always that nothing is accomplished.
I think it fair to say that in our class discussion we agreed on a stance in firm opposition to this destructive narrow-mindedness. Instead we suggested that open communication involving not only speaking but listening is the key to finding the best solution. If we hope to stand against the problems that face our society we must stand together, and the only way to stand together is to really communicate with one another.
In light of all this, I found it interesting that just the other day in another class discussion, this time about Wal-Mart, many of these ideals we professed to be so important were tossed aside. In place of true communication we allowed flared tempers, name calling, and (in some cases) a fierce competition to be heard, rather than an attempt to listen. Overall, the effect was complete polarization. Let me make it clear that I am in no way stating that disagreement on a given issue, or differences of opinion, are somehow bad. What I am saying is that lack of communication, in order to resolve our differences, is bad. If we hope to correct the communicative flaws that plague our society, from the top government offices to simple everyday conversation, so we can find the best solutions to future problems we must start with ourselves.
