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Show lessons, Fail 2004 page 5 Managing Religious Conflict on Campus BY SHELLIE SCOTT-WILSON PHOTOS BY ELLIOTT FRAUGHTON Dialogue that includes religious issues is inevitable in a university setting. Discussion of abortion, homosexuality, women's rights, and politics often bring religious discussion into the classroom. Strong topics lead to strong opinions. The university is an excellent setting to analyze and intellectually discuss these and other current topics. Teachers, however, must also face the difficulttask of educating and ---------------------------- enlightening students while creating an environment where students feel physically and emotionally safe. Ted Wilson, former Director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics, believes, 'The world is dipped in controversy. The classroom is a great place to teach students how to deal with and approach controversy." Part of learning and creating discussion in the classroom includes the free flow of ideas. Lindsay ---------------------------- Calhoun, teaching assistant and third-year Ph.D. student at the University of Utah studying ethnic conflict, said, "I never want to stop someone coming from an honest place." Discussion and learning are enhanced as instructors encourage students to think freely when discussing issues. She recognizes that a person's religious background, beliefs and values all play a factor in the interpretation of course material and personal view of an issue. In a class such as Intercultural Communication, conflict is part of the curriculum. Quoting author Arnold Mindell, Calhoun believes "sitting inthefire," or discussing difficult issues is often necessary to progress. Knowledge and learning require exploring unfamiliar and sometimes uncomfortable thoughts and beliefs. This exploration expands students' knowledge and allows them to become more aware of differing perspectives. "The world is dipped in controversy. The classroom is a great place to teach students how to deal with and approach [It]." Calhoun recognizes, however, that sometimes an instructor needs to stop dialogue altogether to maintain control and facilitate a respectful atmosphere. She understands the need to terminate classroom discussion if it rises to a level where too much emotion is involved. Her goal is not to silence opinion, but she will not allow people to terrorize or victimize others in class. She said this often requires "taking a break," or moving on from controversial topics. She believes the teacher operates as a facilitator or mediator in such discussions. Balancing a respectful atmosphere with a forum for opinion is a challenge for professors. ------------------------ In the political science classroom, students often discuss the role the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints plays in Utah politics. One strategy to prevent attacks or biases on either side of an issue is to have students "impugn themselves," as Ted Wilson puts it. Wilson encourages students to form an opinion, but then he continually pushes the students to take that thought process a step further. He believes the worst thing an instructor can do is to repri- ------------------------- mand a student for expressing his or her opinion and beliefs. Attacking a student for his or her thoughts may cause the student to defend that position more. To prevent this situation, Wilson likes to play devil's advocate by asking his students to consider the other side of an issue. He likes to use the phrase "Have you considered this ..." He then describes the alternative side of an issue. Wilson believes that exploring in depth both sides of a controversial religious topic will foster an environment where students appreciate and understand differing opinions. Wilson believes learning is promoted when students are allowed the freedom to formulate ideas, but he also recognizes the need for the instructor to actively encourage students to search for both perspectives on controversial subjects. In contrast, Marcie Goodman and Jackie Osherow believe scientific learning is the key to maintaining a safe |
