Over the last few weeks, I have given three lectures on Brexit. This is not the first time – I have lectured on the EU for almost 15 years and covered Brexit since 2015/16 – yet the inclusion of new material has inspired reflection. Given the divisiveness of the topic, lecturing on Brexit is unusually difficult and raises questions of partiality and tolerance.
Hi Thomas, you had written, "Therefore, I am open about my stance on Brexit, telling students that I campaigned for Remain in 2016 but later supported the Withdrawal Agreement (i.e. accepting the result and opposing a second vote). Given that this entailed arguing with both sides, perhaps this puts me in a better position to teach!"
I think it is great that you are transparent with your views to your students; most teachers prefer to hide their own views and adopt a tone of impartiality and objectivity, which is inherently false. Also, and this is what I think is a key point: human brains are wired to adopt a tribal position on topics, "my side" vs "your side". By you having a nuanced third side, I think you short circuit that tribal wiring so that people on both sides would be willing to listen to you.
Thanks for that. Familiar guidelines but a necessary set of reminders in this hyper-partisan time. Emphasizing a discipline of fairness in dialogue and discussion will remain important everywhere reasonable people feel a need to communicate, and we forget that at our peril. Keep up the good work!
Hi Thomas, you had written, "Therefore, I am open about my stance on Brexit, telling students that I campaigned for Remain in 2016 but later supported the Withdrawal Agreement (i.e. accepting the result and opposing a second vote). Given that this entailed arguing with both sides, perhaps this puts me in a better position to teach!"
I think it is great that you are transparent with your views to your students; most teachers prefer to hide their own views and adopt a tone of impartiality and objectivity, which is inherently false. Also, and this is what I think is a key point: human brains are wired to adopt a tribal position on topics, "my side" vs "your side". By you having a nuanced third side, I think you short circuit that tribal wiring so that people on both sides would be willing to listen to you.
Nice post.
Thanks for that. Familiar guidelines but a necessary set of reminders in this hyper-partisan time. Emphasizing a discipline of fairness in dialogue and discussion will remain important everywhere reasonable people feel a need to communicate, and we forget that at our peril. Keep up the good work!
Teaching how to think, not what to think, is teaching. The other is PR.