For some families and friends, the upcoming holiday season brings with it an added dimension — frustration! Getting a jab in the arm to protect against the novel coronavirus has become as divisive as mask mandates, and is stoking anger and resentment within families across America and the globe. Some of the unvaccinated are waiting, either fearful or misinformed, but there’s a vocal minority who distrust science and government and regard vaccine requirements as a step too far that infringes upon their personal liberty. So what happens when those people are your cousins, uncles, and aunts? Should you ask friends and neighbors if they’ve been vaccinated?
Jonathan Bastian talks with Tania Israel, psychologist and author of “Beyond Your Bubble: How to Connect Across the Political Divide,” about effective methods of communication: Why trust, curiosity, and dialogue work, and why anger, science, and data are ineffective in convincing people to get vaccinated.