Productive
Conversations
Around White
Privilege
Bill O’Reilly & Jon Stewart
Discuss White Privilege
While you watch…
o pay attention to how the conversation makes you feel.
• What are your thoughts as you watch this clip?
Bill O’Reilly & Jon Stewart Video
WAS THIS CONVERSATION PRODUCTIVE?
A-Type Conflict vs. CType Conflict
• Affective (Emotional) Conflict: A-Type Conflict
o Disagreements over personalized, individually oriented matters that tend
to foster…
• hostility
• distrust
• cynicism
• avoidance
• apathy
o “This type of conflict focuses on personalized anger or resentment, usually
directed at specific individuals rather than ideas” (80).
C-Type Conflict
• Cognitive Conflict: C-Type Conflict
o Disagreements about substantive differences of opinion tend to foster…
• better decisions
• increased commitment
• increased cohesiveness
• increased empathy
• increased understanding
o “C-type conflict occurs as team members examine, compare, and
reconcile these differences…It focuses attention on the all-too-often
ignored assumptions that may underlie particular issues” (80).
Our Challenge?
• To engage people in C-type conflict around
challenging and potentially uncomfortable topics
such as white privilege.
A Potential Approach
• 2-point conversation vs. 3-point conversation
o “Explaining White Privilege to a Broke White Person” by Gina CrosleyCorcoran
• As you read…
o annotate the text to make note of your reactions.
o consider ways that this text could function as part of a 3-point
conversation.
Managing Yourself
During Conflict
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Remember that people, even you, are rarely as benevolent as
they perceive themselves to be.
Remind yourself that others are rarely as evil as their opponents
perceive them to be.
Be aware that people rarely spend as much time thinking about
issues as is assumed.
Realize that the behaviors of others are rarely planned or thought
out. Most aspects of conflict spin off other events and are not the
result of cold-hearted calculation.
Almost all behaviors are motivated by positive intention. These
intentions frequently arise from people trying to take care of and
protect themselves.
Previous patterns taint present perceptions. Every conflict has a
history that extends beyond the present.
Go to the balcony and observe the interactions within the group
whenever you are having difficulty remembering any of the
above.
Presentation Sources
All discussion of C-type conflict, A-type conflict, and
“Managing Yourself During Conflict” was adapted
from:
• Garmston, Robert and Bruce Wellman. Adaptive
Schools Foundation Seminar Learning Guide. 1st ed.
Highlands Ranch, CO: Thinking Collabortively, 2013.