WVCS223 Difficult Discussions - Week 1 PDF

COP YR IG H T © 2 022 E DIT ION WVCS223 – DIFFICULT DISCUSSIONS - WEEK 1 C REATED BY: PRO F. C H AN TELLE GR AY A N D D R AÏD A TER BLAN CH É-G R EEFF DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT By now you should have an understanding of what a social construct is, and how it functi...

COP YR IG H T © 2 022 E DIT ION WVCS223 – DIFFICULT DISCUSSIONS - WEEK 1 C REATED BY: PRO F. C H AN TELLE GR AY A N D D R AÏD A TER BLAN CH É-G R EEFF DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT By now you should have an understanding of what a social construct is, and how it functions in society as presented in the previous study units. This next study unit will consist of one study section. We will describe critical thinking that will ultimately help you to have difficult discussions about social constructs. Developing this skill is important as social constructs are often oppressive and unjust. To challenge the status quo, you have to be able to put on different “lenses”. You need to know how to communicate what social constructs are in place, and why they have become accepted as valid. This skill will also help you to formulate possible solutions to issues surrounding social constructs – like gender or race – and to identify and understand ideologies better. Study Section 4.1. Critical Thinking and Communication Skills During this first (and only) study section, we will focus on critical thinking and communication skills. We start by highlighting the importance of self-awareness. We then turn our focus to critical thinking as a skill and what it entails. To be able to have discussions on social constructs, you will need some communication skills. With this in mind, we briefly unpack respect and empathy before moving on to the need to look for a solution in critical thinking. This section then ends with examples and strategies on how to talk about a social construct such as race. LEARNING OUTCOMES On completion of this study section, students should: 1. use critical thinking as a skill to be able to articulate their personal understandings of social constructs. 2. be able to argue for and communicate feasible solutions to core issues and problems of our time in a typical academic manner. KEY CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS STUDY SECTION 4.1. CRITICAL THINKING AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS Talking about social constructs (especially with people who have views different from yours) are no easy feat. People get angry and will argue in favour of a social construct because it is considered “natural” or a given. Someone from Earth Two might vehemently defend the construct of “Schmeight”. Some of the people who get angry about social constructs aren't really making a philosophical argument so much as they are trying to rationalise their unjust behaviour, such as discrimination based on hight (as per the construct of “Schmeight”), or race or gender (as prevalent on Earth One). We must know, from the beginning, that the critical thinking and conversations surrounding social constructs (and ideologies) might prove challenging. To engage in such discussions, it will be useful to develop the skill of critical thinking together with some aspects of good communication to facilitate such conversations. However, before any meaningful discussions about social constructs can commence, you have to have a level of self-awareness. 1. SELF-AWARENESS THE MATRIX (1999) - THE PILL SCENE Morpheus offers Neo the choice between two pills. Drinking the blue pill, Neo will wake up in his bed, oblivious of the Matrix. Should he drink the red pill, Morpheus will show him the truth. Watch the video and ask yourself the following questions. What would you do if faced with the choice of seeing reality for what it is (here we are reminded of the sunglasses’ function as explained in a video - Slavoj Žižek on "They Live" (The Pervert's Guide to Ideology) - in Study Unit 3)? Would you want to see the underlying structure that influences our beliefs, ideologies, and ultimately, our behaviour? Or would you choose to stay in a lulled state of sleep, oblivious of social constructs and ideologies? Before we can start to talk about social constructs and have philosophically relevant conversations, we first have to drink the red pill. We have to be curious. That is, we have to be open to new knowledge and we have to start by questioning our own social reality. You chose to drink the red pill. You are wearing new “lenses”. This doesn’t mean you can just jump into discussions about sensitive topics like the social constructs of gender or race. An important first step we have to take is becoming self-aware. Here, we mean that you must investigate and question rules and social reality that you have always just perceived to be givens. Think back to the example of blue being a “boy colour”. Remember also that by definition, a social construct is an idea [or perspective] that has been created through human interaction and accepted by the people in a society. Language, culture, historical context, and power play important roles in constructing, sustaining, and possibly “dissolving” a social construct. Ask yourself, what words are we using when we talk about gender or race? How do the words support the persistence of a social construct? How has the ideas surrounding gender and race become embedded into our cultures as givens – ideas we have taken for granted. Has the context changed in any way that makes its social constructed reality more easy to investigate? Were there social, scientific, technological developments that maybe contribute to a potentially new episteme – that is the current digital episteme? From the preceding, we can say that the first (baby) steps toward having difficult but meaningful conversations are building self-awareness, acknowledging our own conscious and/or unconscious biases, and learning about existing social constructs. To do this, it will be helpful to engage in critical thinking. 2. CRITICAL THINKING The concept of critical thinking has many definitions. Before we start, try to define the concept critical thinking. Do not use the word “critical” in your definition. Thinking is part of human nature - we all do it. However, not all of our thinking is by default critical. That is, our thoughts are often distorted, biased, uninformed, partial, or even prejudiced. Furthermore, we are often sociocentric in our thinking and argumentation, and much of our beliefs and social constructs are taken as given facts (when they are actually socially objectivated facts). To improve our lives and quality of thinking, critical thinking must be cultivated. That is critical thinking must be developed as a skill through practice. WHAT IS CRITICAL THINKING? The presenter explains the difference between logical thinking and critical thinking. They provide a clear and concise definition of critical thinking and provide a practical example. After watching the video, you must now ask yourself “So what is critical thinking?”. Critical thinking can be described as “… essentially a questioning, challenging approach to knowledge and perceived wisdom. It involves ideas and information from an objective position and then questioning this information in the light of our own values, attitudes and personal philosophy. (Judge et al., 2009:9)”. Here, we can refer back to the Different Earths example where “Schmeight” is seen as a taken for granted social construct on Earth Two. People on Earth One are critical of this social construct and question the motivation and rationality behind it. They ask the people of Earth Two: “Why do you care? Why have you ‘constructed’ your ‘social’ systems around this feature [of height]?”. So where do you start when you want to become a critical thinker? Critical thinking requires you to use your ability to reason - That is using rationale. Here, you are required to be an active and continuous learner instead of just passively receiving information without rationalising about it. You have to continuously question assumptions and ideas (which might seem as givens), instead of accepting such information at face value. Critical thinking requires a clear - and sometimes uncomfortable - evaluation of your ideologies, personal preferences, strengths and weaknesses, and the possible impact these might have on the decisions you make and your behaviour. You must analyse ideas and arguments to see if they represent the whole picture (of a phenomena) or if they are social constructs (that might be oppressive). You must also be open to alternative explanations (which might be out of your frame of reference or inconsistent with your worldview) - This might cause you to feel uncomfortable and vulnerable. Then finally, you must aim to systematically identify, analyse, and solve problems or issues. According to Richard Paul and Linda Elder in their book titled The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools (2008), a well cultivated critical thinker: raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely; gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively, comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards; thinks open-mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions, implications, and practical consequences; and communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems. Critical thinking is… self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking. It presupposes assent to rigorous standards of excellence and mindful command of their use. It entails effective communication and problem solving abilities and a commitment to overcome our native egocentrism and sociocentrism. Source: Defining Critical Thinking Watch the following video that clearly explain some tips and strategies to improve your critical thinking skills. FIVE SIMPLE STRATEGIES TO SHARPEN YOUR CRITICAL THINKING | BBC IDEAS Is the sky really blue? That might seem obvious. But sometimes things are more nuanced and complicated than you think. Here are five strategies to boost your critical thinking. EXTRA VIEWING (NOT COMPULSORY): WHAT IS CRITICAL THINKING? (MACAT, 2016) Critical Thinking encompasses six vital skills: problem-solving, analysis, creative thinking, interpretation, evaluation, and reasoning. 3. COMMUNICATION SKILLS Now that you understand what is meant with critical thinking, we can move on to some other aspects and skills needed to have difficult discussions about social constructs. When having serious but difficult discussions about social constructs, it is imperative to state your case using philosophical arguments based on critical thinking instead of just “shooting from the hip”. If you are able to logically unpack a social construct and if you are able to illustrate that it could have been constructed differently (as argued by Hacking, 2000), you are already on your way to state a case (possibly) based on philosophical arguments. Remember, not everyone is ready to question or challenge their social constructs. A reason for avoiding difficult discussions is the fact that it can make people feel uncomfortable and vulnerable (Miller et al., 2004:10). Additionally, because some people are not ready to be “unplugged” (so to speak) or to wear new “lenses”, they might respond to your discussion (or challenge of) a social construct antagonistically. This is illustrated by the anger and critique aimed at the work of queer theory philosopher, Judith Butler. The author wrote a book titled Gender Trouble (1990) in which it is argued that sex is a social construct and not a biological natural property. When discussing social constructs, it is nonetheless important to respond to such (sometimes antagonistic) reactions in a respectful and empathic manner if we want to be able to have difficult discussions (Miller et al., 2004:3). This is because complex and tough conversations can “also challenge our cognitive templates and worldviews, which can be very destabilising and disorienting (Miller et al., 2004:11)”. 3.1. Respect and Empathy Before we continue, write down what you think we mean when we talk of respectful and empathic communication. In respectful and empathic communication we have to listen carefully and reply in a kind manner to others, even if there is disagreement between parties. Aspects of respectful communication are: eye contact, respectful tone of voice when talking, listening attentively, being open-minded about the topic at hand, being kind hearted and showing empathy, and being patient (see the figure below). By communicating in a respectful and empathic manner, we can exhibit critical thinking when we express our thoughts and opinions in a calm manner, try to understand the perspectives of others, and ultimately solve problems together. Should there be instances where disagreements are unavoidable, the following sentence structures can be used to respond respectfully and with empathy: I’m not sure about X, can you tell me why you think that? I understand your point of view about X, but I respectfully disagree because... I hear what you are saying. Can you tell me more? I understand why you think or feel that way because...  FIGURE 1. ASPECTS OF RESPECTFUL COMMUNICATION 3.2. Looking for Solutions Part of critical thinking (which is a necessary skill for philosophical arguments) is not only to identify the issue at hand, but also finding solutions to issues. Here, we have to embrace the discussions with others. We must approach difficult discussions with the intent of an active learner so that all parties involved can come to a reasonable conclusion. The aim of difficult discussions about social constructs (like gender and race) should not solely or primarily be to convince the other person that you are correct and they are in the wrong. Here it will be of value to remember that social constructs are influenced by various aspects (language, culture, context, power, episteme), and social constructs function in specific ways – that is negative and positive in some cases (as discussed in Study Units 1 and 3). Remember, it’s okay to agree to disagree. However, the prospect of inevitable disagreement should not deter you from having difficult discussions about social constructs, as such discussion can lead to possible solutions to the issues at hand. 4. HAVING DIFFICULT DISCUSSIONS ABOUT RACE Before continuing, imagine what possible responses or dialogue might be in a discussion between people from Earth One and Earth Zero on the social construct of race. Watch the following video regarding difficult discussions about race. Write down some of the pointer given when talking about race.  H O W T O T A L K A B O U T R A C E : E R IC D E G G A N S A T TEDXBLOOMINGTON Despite having elected a black president, says Eric Deggans, the conversation about race in America is just beginning — but it's vital that we not shy away from it. Read the following online articles regarding difficult discussion about race. What are the key point that you can take away from the advice given? T E N L E S S O N S F O R T A L K I N G A B O U T R A C E , R A C IS M , AND RACIAL JUSTICE The following online article provides lessons, sample language, and examples when talking about race. H O W T O H A V E A R E S P E C T F U L C O N V E R S A T IO N ABOUT RACIAL JUSTICE Read the following online article. Specifically focus on the part where the author discusses seven key ways to approach conversations about race or other difficult topics.