Valuing Diversity
Writing in the Chronicle of Higher Education (October 2011), Wayne Firestone notes: "Civility has had a run of bad luck. Congressional in-fighting drove America to the brink of national default, triggering a first-ever downgrade in the country's credit rating. Rising presidential contenders boasted openly about their unwillingness to compromise." Even owners of professional sports franchises "had to stop talking to their own players until their lawyers were done fighting."
Fortunately, debating teaches an appreciation for intellectual differences. Camp & Schnader, 2010 argue that debate“can widen the intellectual horizons of participants since it requires an acknowledgment of various perspectives. “Urban debate, in particular, situates these students in a highly multi-cultural environment, providing a valuable and unique experience for thriving in today’s increasingly interconnected world” (http://www.urbandebate.org/value.shtml).
Further, Berdine (1987) suggests, understanding both sides of an issue helps an individual to become more open minded. Tumposky (2004) points out that a debate must be able to keep an open mind and anticipate what the other side is thinking. In so doing, Berdine (1987) contends,“students may develop an opinion on a topic they had previously not considered or they may strengthen or change their prior position on an issue” (p. 657).
Debaters soon realize that cases are not as open-and-shut as they might have assumed and that, to be prepared, they must be willing to look at a problem from many points of view. They learn that there are (at least) two sides to every question. As Freely explains: Educational debate provides an opportunity for students to consider significant problems in the context of a multi‑value orientation. They learn to look at a problem from many points of view . . . they learn the value of suspending judgment (p. 25). Debate “can become an antidote to a restrictive and narrow perspective” since arguers soon “become more aware of the possibilities involved in any area of controversy” (Wilson, 1980, p. 10). They learn the value of an open mind and a diverse marketplace of ideas. Therefore, debating “can serve to extend the horizons of personal thought” and help “overcome one-dimensionality” (p. 10).