Sacred Heart Opens Lecture Series on Causes of Hate

Sacred Heart University opened its doors again to the discussion of hate in society when Catholic studies professor Daniel Rober and psychology professor Christina J. Taylor shared their wealth of knowledge and experience with the SHU community.

The University’s Heart Challenges Hate lecture series is a response to the ever-escalating violence that has encompassed the world: mass shootings, hate crimes, sexual assaults and the resurgence of extremist groups. The series’ purpose is to create open discussion among students and faculty about the nature of hate and its origins. Prompting open dialogue, it informs the audience of the psychology behind hate and the tools of informed and reasoned discourse to grapple with effective solutions on how to combat it.

September’s lecture, “Why We Hate the Other: Fears and Forces,” delved into the root causes of hate and the societal forces that fuel this hate. “Minor differences from others, real or imagined, can elicit biased attitudes and behaviors,” Taylor said. She noted that when differences among people or groups are distinctly noticeable or directly pointed out, they can cause a discrepancy in the viewpoints of those varying individuals or groups.

Rober discussed the way that toxic masculinity online contributes to hatred and violence in our society. He discussed how this phenomenon leads to hatred of the other as well as self-hatred for failing to measure up to traditional standards of masculinity. 

The next Heart Challenges Hate lecture “What’s the Matter with ‘All Lives Matter?’” is scheduled for Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. in the Martire Theater.