Tania Israel from UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School was the guest on the most popular episode of the American Psychological Association’s (APA) “Speaking of Psychology” podcast in 2020. Israel’s episode, “How to have meaningful dialogues despite political differences,” was downloaded the most in its first 30 days after posting of any APA podcast for the year.
The podcast, which originally aired in August of 2020 as the 2020 election cycle was heating up, recognized that conversations among family, friends and acquaintances on opposite ends of the political spectrum often were also reaching a boiling point. The United States may be more politically polarized than ever, but political disagreements don’t have to devolve into shouting matches and ideological one-upmanship. For people who want to engage in meaningful dialogues with those who disagree with them, Israel, author of Beyond Your Bubble: How to Connect Across the Political Divide, Skills and Strategies that Work (APA Books 2020), had much practical advice to offer.
Israel is a professor of counseling psychology in the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology at the Gevirtz School. She is a researcher, educator, and fellow of the American Psychological Association. Israel’s book, Beyond Your Bubble, draws on her experience facilitating educational programs and difficult dialogues about abortion, law enforcement, religion, sexual orientation and other topics to prepare people to engage in dialogue across political lines.
“Speaking of Psychology” is an audio podcast series highlighting some of the latest, most important, and relevant psychological research being conducted today. Produced by the American Psychological Association, these podcasts help listeners apply the science of psychology to their everyday lives.