Facilitating Adult Development Through Whole-Person Learning to Address Divisive Polarities Through Empathic Connection

Abstract

Polarization among people in the United States and countries around the world has been intensifying in the twenty-first century. The purpose of this article is to explore how adult educators can address divisive polarities by using adult development theory as a guide for learning initiatives that develop empathic connection between people divided by polarities. We present John Heron's theory of personhood and the distinction he makes between feeling and emotion in shaping the arc of adult development. We discuss how affective and cognitive empathy contribute to wholistic learning under polarizing conditions. Drawing from the literature and our experience as practitioners of cooperative and synergic inquiries, we describe a framework for practices to enable wholistic learning in divisive settings. Our purpose is to describe practices that can support dialogue across polarities, not to create a specific design. We close with an example from a synergic inquiry of how the practices can be applied with agility.