Senior Fellow Luncheon with Dr. Jane Freeman – Disagreeing Effectively is a Research Skill

Discovery and innovation often begin with disagreement: questioning what is allows us to consider what could be. In academia, and in democratic societies more broadly, we inevitably encounter disagreements as students, researchers, and citizens, and yet many of us lack the confidence and communication skills needed to disagree in the service of a shared goal. 

During the talk Dr. Freeman will consider the benefits of paying closer attention to how we disagree in the contexts in which we live and learn. Drawing on research in fields such as second-language pedagogy, pragmatics, sociocultural competencies, and workplace negotiation, she will explore the value of constructive disagreement in pushing the boundaries of what is known or accepted within a field, the tacit and culturally shaped assumptions that influence styles of disagreement, and practical strategies for helping students—and ourselves—disagree more effectively. Together we will reflect on how healthy research teams and effective civil discourse depend not only on what we disagree about, but also on how and why we disagree.