“Lessons Learned Teaching Difficult Subjects in Contentious Times” Dr. Scott Fitzgerald Department of Sociology UNC Charlotte

Background: My Courses & Research Ethical Issues: Poverty, Inequality and Justice (undergraduate) Religion and the State (undergraduate) Political Sociology (undergraduate and graduate) Social Inequality (undergraduate and graduate) Social Movements (undergraduate and graduate) Research: Religion, social movements, and economic inequality Middle Class Meltdown in America

Background: My Approach My pedagogical goals: to provide the tools necessary for lifelong learning, to cultivate intellectual curiosity, and to demonstrate the relevance of sociological knowledge to understanding personal and societal issues. Diversity and Inclusion CLAS Diversity Coordinator Departmental Diversity Liaisons Interactivity Foundation Importance of civil discourse Facilitating conversations

Why should we try to have “difficult conversations?” Private benefits of education Public benefits of education Civil discourse and democracy

Trends & Current Climate Hardening of political discourse driven by the development of sound bite politics Changing norms in news and social media discourages careful deliberation and efforts to search for greater understanding and common ground Difficult discussions rarely take place More often, we stake out our position and seek to defend it from the attacks of others.

Questions for all of us: What role can higher education play in reversing these trends? How can our courses and universities be structured to address these concerns? What opportunities can we provide to cultivate civil discourse?

Setting the Stage for Constructive Discussions and Classroom Interactions Things to think about as you are developing your course: Positionality Purpose Preparation Plan

Things to think about: Positionality Social status Institutional/organizational status Purpose Discussion or debate? Personal reflection or content mastery?

More things to think about: Preparation Creating classroom expectations

Syllabus e.g. Students’ Rights & Responsibilities (excerpt) To complete all assigned readings and written assignments on time, to participate in class and small group discussions, and regularly attend class. To be willing to question and confront ‘common knowledge’, stereotypes, and personal beliefs in order to think about the issues covered in the course in different ways. To be respectful of your peers and the instructor (For example, while it is acceptable to challenge someone’s argument or position on an issue it is never acceptable to make personal attacks).

More things to think about: Preparation Creating classroom expectations Modeling behaviors

More things to think about: Preparation Creating classroom expectations Modeling behaviors Plan Assignments—scaffolding? What if…?

Things to think about throughout the semester Who is engaged and who is not? Why? Changes needed?

Setting the Stage for Constructive Discussions and Classroom Interactions Things to think about as you are developing your course Positionality Purpose Preparation Plan Things to think about throughout the semester Who is engaged and who is not? Why? Changes needed?