Honors Course Promotes Inclusivity, Challenges Biases

Students in the Farquhar Honors College’s We Are All Biased: Social Stratification course tackle controversial topics with open minds and informed opinions to combat bias and misinformation. During a roundtable-style discussion following the Harkness method, students discuss hot-topic issues collaboratively and respectfully.

The Harkness method is a learning method that allows students to facilitate discussion among themselves and encourages each student to contribute to the conversation and respond to the previous speakers’ points with textual evidence. Each Harkness discussion in the class follows an overarching theme relating to identity, with the third and final discussion focusing on Sex and Gender. Previous discussions focused on Social Class and Race and Ethnicity.

Students discussed a recent case where a university professor in Ohio refused to use a transgender student’s pronouns and was consequently disciplined by the university. The case sparked widespread debate and resulted in a lawsuit against the university that the professor ultimately won. The class conversation focused on the differing perspectives in this case and how freedom of speech, religion, identity, the law, and language intersect to inform those perspectives.

The course, taught by Tara Ellsley, Ed.D., Upper School Teacher at the NSU University School, prompts students to check their biases and consider opposing perspectives as they learn how identity impacts their view of the world. Rather than trying to change their beliefs, the course invites students to reflect on their biases from a neutral perspective in a safe environment, especially when discussing inequality and social issues.

Other course activities include a visit from a guest speaker from SunServe, a nonprofit organization providing social services for the LGBTQ+ community in South Florida, and a final social action project that urges students to investigate a social issue and develop a call-to-action in response.

Posted 12/11/22