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##  Developing Political Tolerance. ERIC Digest.                                 

Political tolerance is the willingness to extend basic rights and               civil liberties to persons and groups whose viewpoints differ from              one's own.  It is a central tenet of a liberal democracy.  The                  individual rights and freedoms that U.S. citizens value encourage a             wide array of ideas and beliefs, some of which may offend segments              of the population.  The expression of those beliefs is protected by             another core democratic principle, that of majority rule with                   respect for the rights of individuals or groups in the minority.                Without safeguards for the free expression of divergent opinions, we            risk a tyranny of the majority.  In a free and open society, public             deliberation exposes "bad" ideas instead of suppressing them. 
The             protection of individuals' rights, including those of individuals we            dislike or with whom we strongly disagree, has often been a struggle            in U.S. society. Consider the internment of Japanese Americans                  during World War II, the interrogation of suspected American                    Communists in the 1950s, or the FBI files on Vietnam War                        protesters.  In each case, Americans tended to support the                      abnegation of rights for unpopular minorities. Opposition to                    intolerance and support for minority rights among the populace,                 however, can be developed through effective teaching of political               tolerance in elementary and secondary schools.  This Digest                     discusses (1) findings of research on political tolerance, (2)                  guidelines on teaching for political tolerance, and (3) positive                consequences of effective teaching for political                                tolerance. RESEARCH ON POLITICAL TOLERANCE.For almost 50                  years, political scientists have tracked an interesting paradox in              American attitudes:  over 90% of U.S. citizens profess a strong                 belief in democratic principles such as freedom of speech and                   assembly. When asked whether they would be willing to extend these              rights to groups whose ideas they find deplorable, however,                     typically only about one-third to one-half respond affirmatively.               Although the objects of U.S. intolerance have shifted over the                  years, the gap between support for civil liberties in the abstract              and support for granting civil liberties to disliked groups has                 remained fairly constant. 
Studies of adults indicate that                     psychological characteristics play a much more important role in                influencing tolerance levels than do traditional demographic                    characteristics such as social status, income, and residence.                   Individuals with higher self-esteem, who are less dogmatic and less             authoritarian, tend to better withstand the "threat" of ideas at                odds with their own.  Level of education achieved also consistently             predicts a person's level of tolerance.  Post-secondary educational             experiences in particular may help people become more comfortable               with diverse beliefs. These experiences tend to increase self-esteem            and to lower dogmatism and authoritarianism (Sullivan, Piereson &               Marcus 1982). 
Among adolescents, political tolerance tends to be              associated with older age, higher moral reasoning, higher empathy,              and higher self-esteem. Tolerant students tend to make connections              between abstract democratic principles and concrete situations, to              take multiple perspectives, and to see alternative solutions to                 problems.  Intolerant students have difficulty relating principles              to practice or seeing beyond their own viewpoint.  They tend to                 define problems in absolutist terms, with clear "right" and "wrong"             answers.  Even tolerant students, however, have difficulty moving               beyond mere platitudes in explaining the importance of democratic               principles such as freedom of expression (e.g., "Freedom of                     expression is important because we live in a free country") (Avery              1992). 
Secondary school experiences can increase students' level              of political tolerance, but their impact tends to be far less                   significant than that of post-secondary experiences because while               college instruction tends to highlight divergent perspectives,                  secondary teachers and textbooks have traditionally avoided                     conflict.  A serious examination of the role of tolerance in a                  democracy entails looking at extremist or unconventional political              and social beliefs.  Teaching tolerance is thus inherently                      controversial; however, studies indicate that when curricula are                specifically designed to teach young people about the role of                   tolerance in a democracy, levels of tolerance can increase (Avery,              Bird, Johnstone, Sullivan, & Thalhammer 1992; Goldenson 1978;                   Thalhammer, Wood, Bird, Avery & Sullivan 1994). GUIDELINES ON                 TEACHING FOR POLITICAL TOLERANCE.The research suggests the                  following guidelines about teaching for political tolerance: 
1.               Examine the "slogans of democracy."  The notion of "freedom of                  speech" may be held as dear as "mom and apple pie" until it is                  extended to groups that offend your core beliefs.  What is freedom              of speech?  Why is it important in a democratic society?  Are there             limits to freedom of speech?  Who decides? 
2. Make explicit                   connections between abstract civil liberties and concrete                       situations.  Students can explore the historical, psychological, and            sociological dimensions of intolerance through case studies.  Why               have some groups denied rights to others?  Why do people join these             groups? What has been the short- and long-term impact of intolerance            on the perpetrator, the victim, and society? 
3. Teach how                     individual rights are embedded in the U.S. Constitution.  Young                 people quickly learn the phrase "majority rule," but they are much              less likely to include "with respect for minority rights." Why is it            particularly important that the rights of individuals in the                    minority be protected?  What are those rights that deserve                      protection? Draw connections to the International Declaration of                Human Rights to show students that certain rights are recognized as             basic at the international level (Avery & Others 1993). 
4.                    Differentiate between acknowledging a person's right to express                 dissident views and approving of the person's views.  There are many            social and political groups whose perspectives we would not want                students to adopt.  Students should understand that they have the               right to express their opposition to ideas with which they                      disagree. 
5. When teaching about tolerance for diversity of                   belief, it is particularly important to use teaching and learning               strategies that give students opportunities to consider multiple                perspectives, such as role plays, simulations, and structured                   controversies.  Without experiencing different viewpoints in the                classroom, students are unlikely to appreciate their value as well              as their complexity. 
Although it is critical that issues related              to tolerance be addressed in the curriculum, it is just as important            that students explore such issues in an open classroom climate.  It             would be counterproductive to use case studies of intolerance in a              classroom environment that is itself intolerant of divergent                    viewpoints.  In three international studies, students' level of                 political tolerance has been associated with their perception of an             open classroom climate, one in which they feel free and secure to               express their ideas and opinions (Hahn 1998; Nielson 1977;                      Torney-Purta, Lehmann, Oswald & Schulz 2001).  It appears that when             students see that their teachers are interested in multiple                     perspectives, when they feel their own ideas are respected, and when            they regularly listen to different viewpoints, they are more                    tolerant of diverse beliefs. CONSEQUENCES OF EFFECTIVE TEACHING               FOR POLITICAL TOLERANCE.Taking a tolerant stance is one of the              more difficult tasks citizens face in a society.  We are not born               tolerant, but must learn to be tolerant.  Adolescence is potentially            a very important time for the development of political tolerance                because during this period, most young people are developing the                capacity to apply abstract principles to concrete situations, they              have a heightened curiosity about social and political issues, and              they are keenly interested in their increasing rights and                       responsibilities as young adults. 
Social studies educators are                charged with developing an enlightened citizenry.  Enlightened                  citizens do more than "lip-synch to the tune of democracy."                     Enlightened citizens understand the role of tolerance in a                      democratic society and are committed to practicing tolerance and                respect for minority rights (Thalhammer, Wood, Bird, Avery &                    Sullivan 1994).  The research suggests that adolescents can become              enlightened citizens, but that it will take much effort and ongoing             commitment among social studies educators to realize this goal.              **Title:** Developing Political Tolerance. ERIC Digest.                                 **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education, 2805            East Tenth Street, Suite 120, Bloomington, IN 47408-2698. Tel:                  800-266-3815 (Toll Free); Fax: 812-855-0455; e-mail:                            [email protected]. For full text: http://ericso.indiana.edu.                **Descriptors:**  Citizenship Education, Civics,  Civil Rights,  Consciousness                   Raising, Democracy,  Democratic Values, Elementary Secondary                    Education, Minority Groups,  Political Attitudes, Social Studies,               United States History                                                        **Identifiers:** ERIC Digests,  Tolerance                                                     
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