Christmas table conversations are getting harder
Here's our advice on handling uncomfortable political conversations with family this holiday season.
It’s been an unusually heavy end to the year, and one that has unfortunately left our political discourse more broken than ever.
We’ve seen our inboxes inundated with requests for resources - guidance for the uncomfortable conversations that will inevitably arise with loved ones as many of us gather to celebrate Christmas. It’s true that this year will probably be tougher than most for those of us with family members who sit firmly on the other side of the political fence. We are all feeling raw and vulnerable - and none more than those who are members of, or closely connected with, Australia's Jewish or Muslim communities.
Of course, there is a wide spectrum of very human responses to the Bondi terror attack - anger, fear, frustration, anxiety, sadness - which you’ve likely seen on display both in the media and in your personal life. It’s important that we give grace to the ways others grieve and process these horrific events, while still pushing back against harmful narratives about race, religion, immigration, or the movement for Palestinian freedom.
It means that, even more than usual, we need to treat these conversations with realism: debating politics across the dinner table is rarely going to change minds. This point, as Grace Blakeley writes, is backed by multiple studies, showing that being presented with clear evidence that one’s political position is wrong will not change minds, even if they are well-educated. Citing Sarah Stein Lubrano, she explains that this is because people typically hold their political beliefs as central to their concepts of self.
Luckily, it is possible to stand firm on our values without allowing family get-togethers to devolve into tearful yelling matches - though its easier said than done. Here are some of our pointers on how to do it:
