jesse graham

Professor, Management

Family disagreements around the anksgiving

table. Vitriolic comments on social media. A conversation with a neighbor about vaccination. These interactions may be a fraught with social peril for most of us, but Jesse Graham is unafraid to wade right in. Graham has dedicated his career to studying the moral, political, and religious convictions that cause con ict — both between individuals and organizations — and yet provide so much meaning to people’s lives.

His latest project takes on a behemoth — the hate and negativity in U.S. political and public discourse. Graham and a team of fellow researchers and community members have launched the Dignity Index (www.dignityindex.us) — a tool designed to show us how we treat each other when we disagree, and how our responses can either ease the divisions in our country or worsen them. The index is based on the Social Emotional Learning movement, led by Tim Shriver, Chair of Special Olympics. The Index brings together a diverse group of people to form UNITE, an organization dedicated to easing divisions, solving problems, and preventing violence.

The Index scores political rhetoric on an eight-point scale that ranges from digni ed to contemptuous. A level one statement “escalates from violent words to violent actions. It is feeling the other side is less than human,” according to the Index. At the other end of the spectrum, a level eight states: “I can see myself as part of every group, I refuse to hate anyone, and I o er dignity to everyone.” The goal is to focus on the speech, not the speaker, and draw attention away from partisan politics and the inherent biases we all carry.

Voters can then use the scores of speeches, debates, advertisements, and more, to evaluate candidates and organizations. UNITE is putting the Index into practice, with Utah acting as the test site. The Dignity Index Utah Demonstration Project is the rst public e ort to re ne and test the Index.

It can be hard to get people to give up contempt, Graham said, because it feels good in the moment.

“There’s something really addictive about it,” Graham said. “It feels good in the moment to see somebody strike a contemptuous blow against the other side. But it’s like empty calories for the soul. It feels good in the moment, but it’s really bad for your long-term well-being. Whereas dignity, in the moment, at least at rst, it feels like work. It’s hard to do, but it’s nourishing.”

The team from the Demonstration Project has analyzed hundreds of political debates, speeches, advertisements, and other pieces of rhetoric, and given them all scores. Reviewers work in teams — never alone — and include members from across the political spectrum. Despite their di erences, they manage to come to a consensus on rankings more than 90 percent of the time.

Graham is hopeful that if we can bring dignity to discourse, it will eventually lead to more cooperation and healing of the huge political divide in this country. And if it makes Thanksgiving dinner a bit more enjoyable for everyone along the way, that’s just gravy.