For Academic Year 2024-25, the Oswego Dialogue Project will specifically focus on political dialogues. The anchor for this work will be embedding in all sections of GST 104 a series of dialogues focused on political socialization and identity as well as planning and executing several dialogues after the election, including in the weeks after Election Day and in February and March 2025.
The pre-election dialogue (designed by Pete Willner, Interfaith Works, and Dr. Allison Rank, chair, Department of Politics) provides an opportunity for students to explore their own political socialization and values. Students who participate in this initial dialogue as well as the broader campus community, may opt to engage is further dialogue using the Pew Research Center’s Political Typology Quiz to explore how their values connect to the contemporary political landscape. Importantly, this structure provides opportunities for self-reflection for students who know very little about the political system as well as for those with strong partisan views.
- Anchored by the premise that we need to talk to each other about politics, meaningfully, so that we can continue to improve our “American experiment.” Debate and apathy (conscious and/or unconscious) do not benefit us in the long run.
- Developed to help participants talk about political identities to build some comfort and ability to talk across political differences.
- Will also serve to help participants understand that political parties and our political identities are more complicated than they might assume – none of us fit neatly into any “box.”
- Political differences include talking with people who, on the surface, may appear to hold different views on major issues as well as people who are just plain tired of talking about politics.