Building Bridges: Fostering Community Amid Polarization Blog Post Series – Part 2
Part 2: Identifying Themes
Written by Dr. Margaret Robbins, Jared Colley, Alexandra Blumencranz, and Ann Marsh Rutledge
This blog post series addresses how schools can foster essential dialogues about civics and participatory democracy while protecting their communities from the harmful effects of polarization. It provides practical strategies for building environments where meaningful discourse can thrive and where students, teachers, and stakeholders feel safe to explore, learn, and apply their knowledge for positive impact.
In navigating the complexities of our modern educational landscapes, we must engage with and understand the fundamental themes and trends that shape our communities and influence our practices. In this post we explore the critical transitions necessary for fostering environments where individuals feel a genuine sense of belonging, transitions which include:
- the importance of understanding the relationship between intent and impact,
- the shift from inclusion to belonging within an organization with a shared purpose, and
- the shift from resilience to regeneration in organizational cultures.
By delving into these interconnected themes, we aim to provide insights that empower educators and leaders to create inclusive, adaptive spaces that prioritize authentic dialogue, cultivate empathy, and promote continuous growth in the face of an increasingly polarized world.
From the Binary of Intent vs. Impact to Intentionally Aligning Intent with Impact
As places of learning and discovery, schools provide opportunities for individuals to participate in pluralistic cultures of free expression and inquiry. These cultures thrive when all participants genuinely feel a sense of belonging, which can be strengthened by thoughtfully considering the relationship between intent and impact in discourse, both in face-to-face conversations and online. In the Edward E. Ford Foundation’s paper, “Thriving in a World of Pluralistic Contention: A Framework for Schools,” the authors highlight “conscientiousness of expression” as a key element of “expressive freedom,” which involves understanding the impact of one’s speech on others. Alongside the dimensions of “courage” and “toleration of expression,” it supports a culture where freedom of expression coexists with belonging.1
Making impact intentional involves more than responsible expression and inquiry; it requires recognizing the interconnectedness of our actions and their consequences on others. By acknowledging that freedom, connection, and belonging are mutually reinforcing values, we can avoid the pitfalls of polarization and intolerance. Instead, we can leverage curiosity and empathy to intentionally shape the impact we want to have on others, ensuring that our expressions and actions contribute to a more inclusive and compassionate community.
From Inclusion in the Workplace to Belonging with a Shared Purpose
A central theme of our research is the importance of belonging as the container in which pluralistic freedom thrives. When individuals feel excluded or disconnected, their actions and words often stem from fear, and they may lack the confidence to practice “courage of expression”— a key dimension of expressive freedom as highlighted in The Edward E. Ford Foundation’s recent white paper. Drawing from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Pascal and Crystal Losambe remind us in their work, Breaking the Barriers to Belonging: United by Our Biology and Shared Humanity, that in order to reach self-actualization and higher-order thinking, basic needs such as safety and belonging must first be met. In educational settings, this means that when individuals don’t feel a sense of belonging, there are basic safety needs not being met, and certain individuals are unable to fully thrive or contribute their talents to the community as a result.
Losambe and Losambe emphasize that when individuals enter new environments, they immediately seek cues for safety and trust. Establishing psychological safety allows individuals—whether students or staff—to develop their talents and contribute meaningfully (Losambe and Losambe, 56). However, different life experiences and identities can create barriers to belonging if the organization lacks tools to support understanding. According to Losambe and Losambe, “psychological safety works to remove these barriers. The more an individual’s thinking, creativity, innovative ideas, and identity can surface to the organization’s benefit, the more likely there will be better outcomes for an organization” (65). In politically polarized times, faculty and staff must work together to ensure that all learners, regardless of background or opinion, feel psychologically safe. Faculty, too, need to experience belonging within the organization to function fully and support the broader community.
The invitation to create and contribute to a culture of psychological safety starts with self-awareness. This is not a top-down initiative; rather, every member of the organization must see themselves as a steward of safety for others, which reinforces the importance of “conscientiousness of expression” mentioned earlier. Losambe and Losambe recommend building rapport, making appropriate physical contact, validating others, engaging intentionally, and maintaining positivity. People humanize each other by “developing an awareness of your emotions, managing your emotions, being optimistic, and listening and empathizing” which contributes to a deeper sense of community (94). Part of the work of growing and strengthening the collective sense of belonging for schools, then, is emotional regulation and awareness, meaning teachers and leaders not only guide others in emotional regulation but must also must manage their own responses in polarizing situations.
Finally, the concept of targeted universalism offers a powerful framework for building belonging. “Targeted universalism,” writes Losambe and Losambe, “asserts that there must be a universal goal…the ‘goal’ here is engagement and belonging for stakeholders in an organization” (123). This approach encourages unity around a shared purpose while remaining attuned to the needs of those who may feel less engaged. By asking, “Help me see what you see,” we foster empathy and shared humanity, which are both critical for creating a community where everyone feels a sense of purpose and belonging.
From Resilience to Regeneration
Regenerative cultures acknowledge the need for a new narrative for humanity—one that shifts from a story of separation to a narrative that takes seriously our shared “interbeing” and interdependence. While resilience often focuses on an individual’s capacity to “bounce back,” as one might say, a regenerative approach finds its strength, abundance, and ability to thrive precisely in the interconnections and mutual support of a diverse community – one that responds to challenges through collaborative solutions, redundancies, and cyclical support systems. In Designing Regenerative Cultures, Daniel Christian Wahl writes, “beyond all religious dogmas or denominations of faith, [or political affiliations,] we can find common ground in our shared interbeing with each other and all life.” The future of our species depends on finding this “higher ground as humanity” (37). By embracing “targeted universalism,” we cultivate grounds for a regenerative abundance, where conscientious expressive freedom and belonging reinforce, for every community member, pluralism over polarization and partisanship.
Questions for your teams to consider when making these shifts from intent to impact, inclusion to belonging, and lastly, from resilience to regeneration:
- What ways does our organization currently promote the feeling of belonging for all of our stakeholders?
- How does our organization support self-awareness to move towards a culture of psychological safety?
References:
1 The Edward E. Ford Foundation (2024). “Thriving in a World of Pluralistic Contention: A Framework for Schools.” Retrieved on August 20, 2024 from https://deerfield.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/
Framework-2024.pdf
Losambe, Pascal and Crystal Losambe (2023). Breaking the Barriers to Belonging: United by Our Biology and Shared Humanity. Kharis Publishing.
World Economic Forum (2024). The Global Risks Report.
