On the Other Hand

#102, OTOH, Philip Martin, journalist, author and musician, Part 1, Feb 21 2025

April & Glen welcome Philip Martin, a journalist, author and musician, into conversation about his life and work. In part 1 of our interview with Philip, we briefly review his extensive pursuits over the years, which include a brief stint as a pro baseball player, author of several books, appearances over the years in local and national media, and his love of music (including being a musician and songwriter).  We also explore his career in journalism, which most recently includes many years with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, for which he writes regular columns on music, movies, politics and other topics. Phil shares with us his wish for politics to once again be dull and not entertaining. His approach to ongoing demands for writing in his job is also described.  Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3 of our conversation with Philip.

#101, OTOH, Shana Chaplin, Program Director for Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, Part 2, Feb 13 2025

In part 2 of this conversation with Shana Chaplin, Program Director for the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute in Arkansas, Glen and April hear how local government can get its citizens engaged and active. The new Civic Guide, recently published by the Civic Arkansas imitative (https://rockefellerinstitute.org/programs/civic-arkansas/), is posed as one important tool to help citizens get involved. The initiative also has partnered with Miss Teen Arkansas and with others to facilitate more involvement and education among young Arkansans. The fatigue by Arkansans over persistent divisiveness is one source of mistrust in news sources, worsened by current strong misinformation currents in the media environment. Ways the Civic Arkansas initiative addresses this challenge are discussed. Shana also describes an effort to encourage civility in public discussions to hopefully improve a sense of trust among those who seek to engage in their communities. Hopeful signs are highlighted, including the willingness of most Arkansans to help neighbors during times of community crisis without regard to their beliefs or political views, along with the difficulties accompanying that community response.

#100, OTOH Shana Chaplin, Program Director for Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, Part 1, Feb 13 2025

Shana Chaplin, Program Director for the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute in Arkansas, speaks with Glen and April, focusing on the state of civic health in Arkansas. Born to an Arkansas family but raised in an international setting, Shana's experience and training that prepare her for expertise in civic engagement are traced. We then discuss the Civic Index, which in Arkansas has shown us to be in many ways very low in the country in civic involvement and awareness. In a move to help improve this status in our state, the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, the Clinton School, and other organizations worked together to plan how to address our state's deficiencies in this area through the Civic Arkansas initiative (https://rockefellerinstitute.org/programs/civic-arkansas/). Various community partners have joined in this initiative, including Braver Angels Arkansas. Shana provides concrete explanations and examples of civic engagement and why it is important in a democracy, while sharing findings from initial efforts by the Civic Arkansas initiative. She describes various similarities and differences across variables such as age or rural/urban settings. We explore with Shana what is being done now with partner groups as part of the initiative. Impediments to progress in civic education, including some aspects of the current media environment, limited public spaces for citizen engagement, and other factors, are described.  Shana also argues that democracy requires participation and that the decline in citizen involvement in America has important implications for the health of our democratic form of government. Some of the tools that are already being offered via the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute to address these concerns are outlined, along with challenges still needing to be addressed.  

# 99, OTOH, Glen, April, & Jerry Henderson provide update on polarization research and solutions, Part 5 of 5, Feb 6 2025

For this 5th and final part of our update on political polarization research and thinking, Glen begins with his thoughts on solutions for political polarization related problems, which include research on societal characteristics that are associated with peaceful societies. For the remainder of this final episode, we all discuss several other ideas, which include contact theory, and other positive practices. We then conclude our discussion with some thoughts on how we might best proceed in our society’s political conversations so that we retain a healthy, functioning democracy and society.

# 98, OTOH, Glen, April, & Jerry Henderson provide update on polarization research and solutions, Part 4 of 5, Feb 6 2025

In part 4 of our 5 episodes devoted to updates on polarization research and related topics, Glen and April provide specific information that they chose as important in understanding and dealing with various polarization related issues. Glen begins by describing how various behaviors in society are enabled by powerful effects of social modeling, then he focuses on mis- & disinformation as a growing and malevolent influence on polarization. Glen offers suggestions for how we might address this increasing problem of erroneous information in our digitally influenced society. Suggestions include the importance of education that helps us all improve our media literacy, as well as the importance of building community. April encourages continued respect toward those who may be inadvertently spreading bad information and to continue to engage with others, even when some of their ideas are uncomfortable for us.  Jerry points out how compassion and mindfulness practices can serve as a healing alternative to excessive reliance on either emotion or reason.  April then discusses various types of civility and how they can be either more or less helpful in dealing with conflict. We conclude this round with a more in-depth discussion of the key points covered. Next up will be our 5th and final episode in this series on polarization research and thinking.

#97, OTOH, Glen, April, & Jerry Henderson provide update on polarization research and solutions, Part 3 of 5, Feb 6 2025

In this 3rd of 5 episodes for our polarization research update, our guest Jerry Henderson starts by providing information on current thinking in Evolutionary Psychology and on origins of tribalism as a powerful force.  Jerry describes how this all relates to understanding polarization and why we are prone to many of the behaviors and problems we currently see in our society related to political differences and conflict. Glen points out how the age of Enlightenment and its new focus on reason, while largely a positive development in civilized society, failed to understand the huge role played by emotion, intuition and other unconscious processes in how we believe and behave. April then discusses potential imitations in relying excessively upon rationality and the importance of utilizing effectively the emotions and intuitions that influence us. We continue to vigorously discuss our thoughts regarding the new information covered.

# 96, OTOH, Glen, April, & Jerry Henderson provide update on polarization research and solutions, Part 2 of 5, Feb 6 2025

For part 2 of our polarization research update, Jerry and Glen present their thoughts on topic 1 (Why is it important to understand political polarization?), after which April, Glen and Jerry all discuss the new information from Glen and Jerry. Discussion points include the impact of polarization on societal health, both of individuals and of democracy itself; Influences from media and the digital environment; and role of social norms in how we respond to polarization.
In part 3 next, we’ll begin having each of us present information on a topic of our choice that relates to the overall intent of providing an update to the latest research and thinking about political polarization and related issues.

# 95, OTOH, Glen, April, & Jerry Henderson provide update on polarization research and solutions, Part 1, Feb 6 2025

For this first of 5 parts of an extended conversation, Glen and April welcome a returning guest, Dr. Jerry Henderson, a retired psychologist. In 2022, Glen and Jerry discussed some key research findings and expert opinions on political polarization, formation of beliefs in humans, and related topics. In this new 5-part series, the three of us are updating information in this rich field of study, as we each provide some of our highlights from the latest research and thinking on political polarization and related topics. After we provide a brief introduction to the structure of the series, we each briefly describe our credentials and other work that establishes our credibility in providing this information. We then begin to provide our thoughts on topic 1:  Why is it important to understand political polarization? April starts with some basic definitions and questions for how we can assess our own degree of polarization. Next, we all engage in discussion about the information April provided.
In the next episode, part 2 in this series, Jerry and Glen will present their thoughts on the importance of understanding polarization, after which we engage in discussion about the newly presented information. 

#94 OTOH, Anthony Taylor, Catholic Bishop of Little Rock, Part 2, Feb 5 2025

In this second part of our conversation with Little Rock Catholic Bishop Anthony Taylor, Glen and April explore with him how he deals with polarized congregations and other potentially difficult conversations with groups or individuals. One intriguing guideline he suggests following in such situations is to "will the good," an approach he explains in terms of religious and personal strategies. Anthony also provides insight into his views on navigating potential conflicts between religion and government, science, non-believers, and others. He also describes his thinking on dealing with religious extremists of various faiths, including those within Christianity. He ends with a story about the highly unusual circumstances of his entry into school as a first grader. 

#93 OTOH, Anthony Taylor, Catholic Bishop of Little Rock, Part 1, Feb 5 2025

April and Glen welcome the Bishop of the Little Rock Catholic Church, Anthony Taylor, on our podcast. In this first part of our conversation with Bishop Taylor, he provides us with insight into early influences on his religious and moral values, which include a family history of persecution during the holocaust. Anthony also draws a distinction between the laws of government and religion, the latter of which he describes as a "higher law." Anthony's explanations of how Catholic teachings and traditions emphasize the common good are explored in several specific examples from the Catholic faith. He also highlights his long history of working with the Hispanic community, as well as his and the church's views of immigration as a human right.