Allowing political talk into meetings risked overwhelming and drowning the group

Evidence

In direct contrast to the volunteeers’ neatly organized, quick meetings, the activists’ meetings often risked overwhelming members. Once the dam against political talk opened a little, everything came flooding through, threatening to drown the meetings altogether. — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics, 1242

Categorization

• XREF: Contrast with Erving Goffman’s frontstage/backstage frame and with the ‘drowning’ metaphor she applies to political talk. — connects to: Volunteers suppress political talk because it would sink their feeling of empowerment; Members avoided serious conversation and stayed ignorant of each other’s basic facts — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics: how Americans…, 779; Silent groups let a vocal few dominate opinion through sheer volume of talk — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics: how Americans…, 775 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Silent groups let a vocal few dominate opinion through sheer volume of talk #exemplifies (0.85) — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics, 775
• People voice political opinions privately but suppress them in group settings. #corroborates (0.82)
• Politicization costs group members in opportunity and personal safety #qualifies (0.75) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 4459