Across the country, people in power are using racism, xenophobia and fear mongering to win elections and ignite their supporters. Fear is a powerful emotion, and once ignited, can pull people to stand against their immigrant and refugee neighbors.
After the 2016 election, we knew we needed an equally powerful way to engage people’s better instincts and desires. We needed to change the narrative and counter fear-based messaging to build lasting support for immigrant and refugee families in our communities.
That's why we partnered with leading researchers on a cutting-edge project to see if we could move conflicted individuals to be more supportive of undocumented immigrants. In collaboration with Yale and UC Berkeley, we surveyed voters to see if a technique called deep canvassing could have an effect on both people’s opinion on immigration policy and implicit bias.
And what did we find?
Sharing and listening to personal narratives in a non-judgemental space can profoundly change people’s attitudes on immigration. The results overwhelmingly showed for the first time that a technique called deep canvassing can move voters on immigration in statistically significant amounts. Not only that, the change in attitude is lasting up to a year later. Deep canvassing makes people less likely to fall victim to fear-based messaging, and we found that those we talked to influenced others in their households.
What is deep canvassing?
Personal Narratives + Active Listening = Change
Instead of garnering support for a policy or candidate, like in traditional electoral canvassing, deep canvassing seeks to understand someone’s overall views on an issue. Canvassers aim to learn how voters feel about immigration and hear their personal stories. By giving voters the opportunity to process their concerns in a non-judgmental space, we can move many to have more supportive views.
Deep canvassing is considered a key tool that helped lead to victories for marriage equality and transgender rights. In deep canvassing, a trained canvasser speaks with conflicted individuals in an open, non-confrontational conversation to reconsider their prejudices and make lasting shifts toward more compassionate opinions of traditionally marginalized members of our society. The elements of being heard in a non-judgmental space, story sharing, being vulnerable, and centering the conversation around compassion are all essential to the success of deep canvassing.
Unlike traditional door-to-door canvassing, deep canvassing utilizes longer, more in-depth conversations that can last up to 20 minutes. The deep canvassing process has a set of specific steps designed to engage the participant on an emotional level:
Asking them to rate their position on an issue on a scale.
Asking them to voice their concerns about the issue.
Exchanging stories about the issue.
Exchanging stories of compassion.
Canvasser connects stories to the issue.
Canvasser asks for a second rating.
Deep canvassing is a learned skill, but its components are simple and can be used in everyday conversation as well. Be curious, ask intentional questions, listen deeply, be present in the difficult moments, and bravely share your story. Don’t make assumptions about who is and who isn’t moveable and be open to transformation. By mirroring the vulnerability, one can meet both the voter and themselves with deep compassion.
Deep canvassing in the media:
The Only Way to Change a Voter’s Mind, Vice News, July 14, 2020
How to talk someone out of bigotry, Vox, January, 29, 2020
For Your Reconsideration, This American Life, NPR, April 8, 2016
Will you help us advance this important work?
We're now using this powerful tool to build support for the refugee resettlement program and address anti-blackness in our communities. We know that long-term narrative changeis key to softening the ground and building communities where everyone belongs.
Every $15 donated covers the costs of a conversation with a conflicted voter. Will you donate today to help us increase long-lasting support for immigrants and refugees in Tennessee?
Together, we can create lasting change in the hearts and minds of Tennesseans to make sure immigrants and refugees are welcomed and given the opportunity to thrive.
PS: Want to play a role in helping us transform the public narrative?
Attend an upcoming virtual Transformative Conversations training. Join us in learning how to productively engage with others without compromising relationships.
Wednesday, September 15th @ 12 PM CT
Thursday, November 11th @ 6 PM CT
Hope to see you there!