> communities with controversy aren't necessarily 'unhealthy'

I recommend you explore the concept of "agonism" – which claims that (certain forms of) conflict and disagreement are essential components of a healthy democratic system. Many parallels could be drawn to online communities (specifically) and the curation of productive, social spaces (in general.)

In this era of conflict avoidance and information siloing... promoting the right sorts of disagreement might actually do a great social good!

Good luck with your assignment.