CEHV's Director of Civil Discourse Programming, Dr. Kathryn Joyce, shared tips for navigating tough conversations over the holidays in a recent article in Poynter, "4 expert tips for more gobbling and less squabbling over politics at your Thanksgiving table." The article includes insights from civil discourse experts across the US, including Joyce. 

Joyce's tips in the article include following the 4Cs of Civil Discourse: Be Curious, Be Charitable, Be Conscientious, Be Constructive. Some key takeaway's from Joyce's advice on navigating tough conversations this holiday season include: 

Be a Curious and Charitable Listener.

“People are pretty willing, once they feel heard and understood, to really listen to you and show you the same sort of courtesy. . .Once you start talking to people, they can really surprise you,” Joyce said. “They are less extreme than the politicians they support a lot of the time, and so, I think that we really do have to do our best to get out of the mindset that ‘you’re with me, or you’re against me.’"

Be Conscientious of Emotions, both yours and your interlocutors. 

“You have to sort of manage your emotions to engage in civil discourse well . We’re never going to be emotionless when we talk about things that really matter to us, but it’s about being in a place where you can be curious and charitable.”

Be Constructive and Reflect on your progress. 

“Like a debate is about persuasion or winning, civil discourse, by contrast, is about learning and moving toward mutual understanding,” Joyce said . . . However a conversation goes, Joyce said, people should focus on “finding what you’ve accomplished in a conversation other than agreement.” For example, this can be better understanding one another’s views, she said.

Explore CEHV's Civil Discourse Programming to find more tips for navigating difficult conversations this season. And, learn more about the 4Cs of Civil Discourse before the holidays with this Free Online Course. 

Read the full Poynter article here.