Taboo Topics: Discussing Religion and Politics in the Classroom

Description

This roundtable explores potential solutions to challenging situations instructors face when addressing culturally-charged topics such as religion and politics. Instructors who regularly engage these topics are confronted with various challenges: they must teach students to be respectful yet analytical in their evaluations of others’ religions and politics, they must help students consider ideas that may be perceived as conflicting with students’ own religious or political convictions, and they must facilitate open dialogue amongst a group of peers with conflicting points of view. During this roundtable, Professors Ebrahim Afsah (University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Law), Ross Cheit (Political Science) and Stephen Bush (Religious Studies) will discuss their views regarding the importance of engaging students in the study of taboo topics, and will share ideas and potential solutions to some of the pedagogical challenges described above. Faculty and students are invited to brainstorm ways in which they might employ some of these approaches in their own classrooms. Catered lunch, registration required.

Period	24 Feb 2015
Held at	Brown University, Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning, United States, Rhode Island
Degree of Recognition	Local