Yesterday there was a lively discussion (with heavy moderation) on the acceptance of Muslims in the UK. Given the state of British, European, and Western politics there is a lot to worry about.
It left me thinking if there were more hopeful datapoints as well and that made me think of the impact Egyptian footballer Mo Salah had on Liverpool. It shows how powerful symbols and positive examples can be in measurably changing the attitudes towards larger minority communities.
I think wonky technocratic liberals underestimate the value of symbols in the inherently emotional topics of identity, tolerance, or even inclusion.
I have no idea how you scale this, but its a refreshingly positive datapoint in a debate that feels more and more difficult.
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Yesterday there was a lively discussion (with heavy moderation) on the acceptance of Muslims in the UK. Given the state of British, European, and Western politics there is a lot to worry about.
It left me thinking if there were more hopeful datapoints as well and that made me think of the impact Egyptian footballer Mo Salah had on Liverpool. It shows how powerful symbols and positive examples can be in measurably changing the attitudes towards larger minority communities.
I think wonky technocratic liberals underestimate the value of symbols in the inherently emotional topics of identity, tolerance, or even inclusion.
I have no idea how you scale this, but its a refreshingly positive datapoint in a debate that feels more and more difficult.
Archive link: https://archive.is/EGQWg
There is also a published paper on this effect for the real nerds. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/can-exposure-to-celebrities-reduce-prejudice-the-effect-of-mohamed-salah-on-islamophobic-behaviors-and-attitudes/A1DA34F9F5BCE905850AC8FBAC78BE58