Posts
Amy Wolf, Vanderbilt News | Vanderbilt University observes, An American Studies seminar is exploring the complex relationship between religion and partisan politics in the United States by putting an emphasis on civility, mutual respect and robust dialogue.
Photo: Vanderbilt News
When first-year student Kurt Urban came to Vanderbilt, he arrived with a retro Polaroid camera, hoping to capture campus sights from a new perspective.
But as the College of Arts and Science student became involved in an American Studies class amid a heated election season, he started seeing through what he considers a surprising new lens: one of dynamic and respectful political discourse.
Urban said he’s learning this philosophy of showing mutual respect even when you disagree in a course titled “Faith, Politics and Polarization” led by the Rev. Dr. Clay Stauffer, adjunct assistant professor of American studies...
Stauffer has a set of class ground rules, which include completing all of the readings, having open and honest dialogue where students listen as much as they talk, and respecting the opinions and beliefs of others.
“We need to model in the classroom what we’re trying to do in greater society and understand that people are coming from very different backgrounds and moral foundations,” Stauffer said.
Source: Vanderbilt University News
