Conference

Talking Conservatively about Diversity

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Abstract

When one examines court cases, political speeches, and candidate rhetoric, one could conclude that political conservatives do not understand issues pertaining to diversity and social justice when, in actuality, people from across the political spectrum have similar goals of justice and equality. This session will help bridge the gap between the two major political camps toward this common goal. It will seek to resolve that discrepancy through communication and understanding and will focus on how to talk to conservatives on issues of diversity and what political conservatives might themselves think about issues of diversity. Participants will engage in discussion on different perspectives using empirical evidence, qualitative evidence, and historical examples to put real context to our discussion. Armed with this information, people from all political persuasions will be able to better communicate using real dialogue in future encounters.