Build Community Norms and Reduce Intergroup Anxiety

More in Common recently released “The Connection Opportunity,” an expansive two-year study involving over 6,000 Americans nationwide about connections across various divides. It has so much valuable content. As a practitioner focused on reducing problems around political differences, I want to focus on what I found to be the most important findings, followed by examples of efforts to achieve these goals.

One of the five key insights resonates most with me: “Two factors–community norms and intergroup anxiety–stand out as the strongest predictors of interest in connecting across difference.” This helps focus attention on the most important steps to take, to build community norms related to connecting, and to reduce factors leading to an overblown sense of intergroup anxiety. 

To provide more context, More in Common analyzed two dozen different factors theorized to impact interest in connecting across difference. These factors covered various aspects in the categories of demographics, behavior and environment, traits and dispositions, and social and relational topics. Some factors increased interest in connecting across different, while others diminished it.