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Caught In The Crossfire: A Policy Maker's Guide To Navigating Difference How Should Policy Makers Think Of Individuals And Groups, Of Constructions Of Self And Society, Jordan B. Parrish

Pepperdine Policy Review

Policy makers face an impossible challenge: They must learn how to build consensus and unite people with incompatible desires. They’re caught in the crossfire of competing metanarratives—systems of belief that tell us why the world exists and to instruct us in morality. The purpose of this paper is to explore the interplay between these metanarratives and objective reality, to examine and critique ways of grouping belief systems, and to provide suggestions for building solidarity between people with different belief systems. Experienced leaders understand that disagreement between humans is often the rule, not the exception, and conflict is completely unremarkable. What’s …