Exploring the Roots of our Ideological Differences
A Workshop for Faculty & Staff
Exploring the Roots of Our Ideological Differences is a two-hour, highly interactive workshop that combines research, reflection, and practical exercises to explore what drives ideological differences and why disagreements can escalate so quickly.
Participants examine the psychology behind belief formation, group division, and moral conflict to better understand how beliefs are formed, how we argue, and why disagreements can spiral. The workshop explores how moral beliefs are formed, why people often misunderstand those who see the world differently, and what it takes to begin bridging those divides.
Participants leave with practical tools for listening for values and engaging constructively in dialogue across differences.
A basic introduction to the key mindsets behind constructive dialogue
A workshop to develop alignment with stakeholder groups like faculty or staff
Focus on inquiry and free expression
Workshop Format
Exploring the Roots of Our Ideological Differences is offered as a private in-person workshop for faculty and staff.
Length: 2 hours
Format: Live, in person
Delivery: Delivered in-person in conjunction with another program
The workshop combines research insights, structured dialogue practice, and applied facilitation techniques.
You Should Attend This Program if You Are
- A campus community beginning to build a shared language around dialogue and disagreement
- Faculty or staff with limited prior exposure to dialogue frameworks or moral psychology
- An organization looking to surface why disagreements escalate before moving to skills-based dialogue training
Concepts Covered
Understand how our fast, intuitive thinking and slower, more deliberate reasoning both shape our judgments, decisions, and conversations.
Common Use Cases
- Introduce constructive dialogue to faculty or staff
- Kick-off programming for campus-wide discourse or civil dialogue efforts
- Introductory program prior to more advanced offerings or longer-term CDI partnerships
- Campus climate or free expression convenings where institutional stakeholders need shared framing before engaging on contentious topics
By the end of this program, participants will:
- Understand the psychology behind how the brain shapes what we believe, how we argue, and why this can lead disagreements to spiral
- Learn how moral beliefs are shaped, why we misjudge people who see the world differently, and what it takes to start to bridge those divides
The program was excellent, and the facilitators were top notch. This is the best training program I have experienced, both in substance and process.
I love how much territory we covered and I feel quite a bit more comfortable at the idea of facilitating a more challenging group conversation.
Engaging in 1:1 practice really pushed me out of my comfort zone to actually use the skills and strategies and feel confident in facilitating dialogue.
The program was excellent, and the facilitators were top notch. This is the best training program I have experienced, both in substance and process.
I love how much territory we covered and I feel quite a bit more comfortable at the idea of facilitating a more challenging group conversation.
Engaging in 1:1 practice really pushed me out of my comfort zone to actually use the skills and strategies and feel confident in facilitating dialogue.
