What is "Bridging?" Defining a "Depolarization" Term (and yes, we define that, too!)
- Piper Hendricks
- 9 hours ago
- 3 min read
When our June webinar speaker mentioned people who "do bridging work," a question popped up from an attendee:
In short, "bridging" is connecting people across different viewpoints or backgrounds with the goal of helping them understand each other. In some cases, the people connected may also collaboratively solve a problem. Connecting and problem-solving both create stronger, more cohesive communities.
"Bridging" looks like connecting with people you disagree with and getting to know them, instead of flattening them into stereotypes or enemies. Notice that we say connecting - not agreeing. Bridging is about building trust, curiosity*, and respect - so much so that you can talk about differences without breaking the relationship.
*Listen to our conversation with Braver Angel Dimitra Giannakoulias for more curiosity + humility:
Some mistake "bridging" for wanting to “fix” other people’s thinking. Not so. If you're going into a conversation hoping to change the other person, darlin', that's not bridging.
Bridging is about connecting with people who see the world differently without assuming "different" means "wrong."
In this era, many of us live in bubbles - either physically, as we see in urban and rural divides - or virtually, as we see in the countless ways we get algorithm-influenced information and entertainment. Bridge-building practitioners use insights from research and experience to design conversations and experiences where people can connect with other people outside of their usual "bubbles." (One of our favorite examples is R.A.F.T. for America, as you can read here.)
There's an urgent need to bridge more these days. Why? Well, are you familiar with the term "mega-identity?" It's the notion that party affiliation in the United States shapes much of our thinking - not reflects. SHAPES.
Politics has become a way for us to immediately sort each other into boxes. We treat political party like a shorthand for who someone is, what they value, and what kind of person we assume them to be. That vast oversimplification determines who’s “with us” and who’s not.
For more on "mega-identity," take a listen to this conversation with the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University's Lilliana Mason:
The term "bridging" has become common in the fields of community building, civic engagement, and political "depolarization," to use another term that might be unfamiliar. "Depolarization" means reducing extreme political divisions and animosities between opposing groups. It means rebuilding social ties and encouraging dialogue across political divides.
Here at Stories Change Power, we love Braver Angels' approach to "depolarization" as not changing the way people see the issues, but changing the way they see each other. Organizations like Braver Angels use structured dialogues between conservatives and liberals in the United States, not to erase differences, but to humanize the people involved.
It's important to remember that bridging divides is not about agreement; it's about seeking to understand the person with whom you disagree.
Know that bridging work is not naïve about conflict - conflict is real, challenging, and can even be dangerous. Nor does bridging pretend that all views are equally valid. Views that disagree are acceptable; views that dehumanize other humans are not. People doing this work know it's important because we know that friendships, families, communities, and even our country as a whole depend on our ability to stay in some form of contact with people we don’t fully understand.
The most effective bridge-builders tend to share a few habits, all of which you can develop if you're interested in being a "bridger:"
Listen for meaning, not "ammunition."
Separate a person’s identity from their position.
Speak in terms of your experience (what you've seen, felt, and feared), not slogans.
Perhaps most importantly, assume that understanding is possible, even if resolution is not.
Do you have other questions or additional thoughts about bridging and depolarization? We'd love to hear from you.
