Monday 5th August - 07:20 PM BST
The Solo Talk: Respect and loathing in the US
How we can bring back respect back
In the year of elections, one recurring theme is polarisation. The media often portray us as more divided than ever, and despite politicians claiming to reach across the isle, partisanship seems more rife than ever. In a time of crises, where complex decisions must be made and compromises reached, we need to understand each other more than ever.
Political theorist Jeff Spinner-Halev and political scientist Elizabeth Theiss-Morse argue that despite respect being in short supply in American democracy, it is integral to overcoming the challenges we face. Far from being intensely divided, we are more similar than we imagine, with what we choose to moralise being the key distinction.
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Jeff Spinner-Halev
Political theorist of identity
Jeff Spinner-Halev is the Keenan Eminent Professor of Political Ethics at the University of North Carolina. He specialises in tensions within political identity and the ways people perceive their political opponents and social situation.
Elizabeth Theiss-Morse
Identity/polarisation expert
Elizabeth Theiss-Morse is a professor of Political Science at the University of Nebraska-Lincon specialising in political psychology and identity. Her most recent book Respect and Loathing in American Democracy seeks to bridge the gaps between divided political tribes.
Political theorist Jeff Spinner-Halev and political scientist Elizabeth Theiss-Morse argue that despite respect being in short supply in American democracy, it is integral to overcoming the challenges we face. Far from being intensely divided, we are more similar than we imagine, with what we choose to moralise being the key distinction.