The Power of Deep Canvassing in Changing Minds on Prejudice and Progressive Causes

Concepts de base

Deep canvassing is a powerful tool for changing minds on prejudice and progressive causes by engaging in nonjudgmental conversations that focus on shared humanity, leading to lasting opinion change.

Résumé

Deep canvassing involves listening, sharing stories, and nudging people to reflect on their experiences to foster understanding and empathy towards marginalized groups. The method has been proven effective in reducing prejudice and increasing support for progressive causes like transgender rights and immigration policies. By focusing on personal narratives rather than facts or arguments, deep canvassing creates a safe space for dialogue that can lead to lasting opinion change even among political opponents.

Stats

A 10-minute deep canvass conversation reduced transgender prejudice for at least three months.
After deep canvassing, 33% of participants strongly supported policies inclusive of undocumented immigrants compared to 29% in the placebo condition.
Voters who engaged in full-conversation deep canvassing reported less prejudice towards undocumented immigrants three to six months after the conversation.
78% of people who engaged with the canvasser stayed for the entire conversation during deep canvassing efforts.

Citations

"Deep conversations, I suspect, may be more cost-effective in the long run because the impacts are durable." - Kim Serrano
"These conversations aren’t arguments. In a way, they may be a form of public therapy — for all sides involved." - David Broockman
"It has taught me patience, and taught me to see people from the most positive view that I can." - Vivian Topping

Idées clés tirées de

How to talk someone out of bigotry

by Brian Resnic... à www.vox.com 01-29-2020

https://www.vox.com/2020/1/29/21065620/broockman-kalla-deep-canvassing

Questions plus approfondies

How can deep canvassing be adapted for conservative causes or issues beyond progressive activism?

Deep canvassing, with its emphasis on listening, sharing personal stories, and finding common ground, can be adapted for conservative causes by focusing on building empathy and understanding rather than confrontation. Instead of pushing facts or statistics, deep canvassing could involve open-ended questions that encourage reflection and dialogue. For conservative issues, canvassers could share their own experiences or stories related to the topic at hand to humanize the issue and foster connection. By approaching conversations with an open mind and a willingness to listen nonjudgmentally, deep canvassing can create space for meaningful engagement across ideological divides.

Is there a risk that deep canvassing could inadvertently validate prejudicial views instead of challenging them?

While deep canvassing aims to reduce prejudice by fostering empathy and understanding through personal storytelling, there is a potential risk that it could inadvertently validate prejudicial views if not conducted carefully. If the conversation lacks critical questioning or fails to challenge harmful beliefs, it may reinforce existing biases instead of addressing them. To mitigate this risk, deep canvassers must strike a balance between listening empathetically and gently nudging individuals to reflect on their perspectives. It's essential to guide conversations towards recognizing shared humanity while also encouraging self-reflection on potentially discriminatory attitudes.

How can meta-perceptions about political opponents influence ongoing conflict and polarization?

Meta-perceptions about political opponents play a significant role in fueling ongoing conflict and polarization by creating distorted views of how the other side perceives us. Research shows that individuals tend to overestimate negative perceptions from their political adversaries, leading to heightened animosity and dehumanization. These misperceptions contribute to escalating tensions as each side believes the other holds more extreme or hostile opinions than they actually do. Addressing meta-perceptions requires fostering genuine dialogue, where individuals engage in constructive conversations that reveal common ground and dispel misconceptions about each other's beliefs. By acknowledging these biases in perception and striving for mutual understanding, we can work towards reducing conflict and bridging ideological divides.