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OCTOBER 29, 2008

The Elevator Test

When I was teaching, I was often tackling subjects that were uncomfortable and controversial, not simply because of the topics, but because of ambiguity and challenges to perspectives. Teaching crime and deviance, my students and I explored a range of behaviors from murder to fraud, subjects from tattooing to graffiti and beliefs from alternative religions and cults to mental health and medicine.

There were behaviors universally agreed upon as dangerous, but also those that were accepted by some, and horrific to others. Ideas and groups then when truly examined stopped being viewed negatively, and this change in perspective was sometime the most difficult.

When there was subjectivity or variation based on perception, it was often hard for students. To help put things in context, I often suggested students ask themselves the elevator test:

If there was a disaster, and I were stuck in an elevator with this person, and all I knew about them was __________________. Would I likely be safe? Would it be likely this person would help me?

There have been times when my answer to this test shocked me. Times when it has made me reconsider long held beliefs, and times when it has sent me searching for more information.

Recently there were reports of a Halloween program in a Connecticut library that was receiving public concern. Initially, this bothered me. I applied my elevator test and based on what I know, my response was positive. I would ride the elevator. As more information was presented, I found my answer wavering.

As we conclude the Halloween season and enter into the Holiday Season, perhaps the elevator test is something helpful to remember. If one is wavering, the library is a place where one can learn more about almost any topic, check your facts and take some time to make up your mind.

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posted by S Epstein

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