Individuals of Generation Z (Gen Z), born between 1995 and 2010, are gearing up to tackle the challenges of the future (Seemiller & Grace, 2019). Gen Z experiences an age of political and cultural polarization, increasing sensitivity to social justice issues, and extreme availability to high volumes of information sources, changing the expectations and norms of engaging in conversations in face-to-face and online settings (Dimock, 2019; Jovanovic et al., 2021; Seemiller & Grace, 2017, 2019). Challenges and divisive sentiments exist in the agricultural industry regarding not only practices and production methods but also cultural influences and social movements (Norwood & Mix, 2019). To better prepare students to be informed about the multifaceted factors influencing the agricultural industry, it is important to understand the perspectives influencing discussion engagement in the classroom, in the workplace, and on social media.

The purpose of this Q method study was to explore the perspectives of Gen Z agriculture students and graduates toward engaging in conversations about controversial topics in the classroom, in a professional setting, and on social media.

Twenty-six participants sorted according to three conditions of instruction: 1) “When it comes to controversial conversations, what are you like in class?” 2) “When it comes to controversial conversations, what are you like in a professional setting?” and 3) “When it comes to controversial conversations, what are you like on social media?”

This study identified a three-factor solution explaining three perspectives: Leery Conversationalists, Confident Conversationalists, and Contemplative Conversationalists. The Leery Conversationalists choose silence over engaging in a controversial conversation for fear of consequences. The Confident Conversationalists feel an air of certainty and authority in a controversial discussion, demonstrating their self-assurance. The Contemplative Conversationalists prioritize expressing genuine viewpoints in controversial discussions but opt out of involvement if they perceive their contributions as lacking substance. These findings offer implications for future research and practices to contribute to the body of knowledge surrounding Gen Z and encourage educators and industry professionals to take part in teaching and facilitating controversial conversations to improve relationships and foster healthy communication in the workplace, in social settings, and online.