Chapter 4: The Pedagogy of Difficult Discussions: A Conversation

Discussions of White supremacy, conflict, race, class, sexuality, sex, religion, capitalism, and politics, just to name a few, bring with them fear and uneasiness. The political and social polarity of the last three to five years has brought about an even greater sense of anxiety in the classroom. The anxiety is the result of fear. Students and faculty are unsure who is safe, and further, students are worried about whether or not the space is safe. In addition to fear, most of us are not taught how to have difficult conversations. Social media and texting have complicated how we engage in any conversations. The move toward a neoliberal model of higher education and the dismantling of the humanities contributes to this as well. According to Henry Giroux: