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Civil Discourse
(24 January 2007)
At the beginning of the Monmouth College Mission Statement, we are
reminded that "As a community of learners we strive to create and
sustain an environment that is value-centered, intellectually
challenging, aesthetically inspiring, and culturally diverse." The
theme continues a few lines later, noting that "we help our students
explore multiple perspectives on the human condition."1
Indirectly, our Mission Statement defines civil
discourse, not as speech rules that restrict ideas (as some worry)
but instead as communication expectations that foster thought,
engagement, and rigor.
Why Promote Civil Discourse in Your Classes?
Simply, but significantly, in addition to
supporting the college mission, civil discourse facilitates
learning.
The lack of civility, on the other hand,
jeopardizes the learning environment. Lee McGaan uses an article by
Michael Cloud, "Gresham's Law of
Communication--and How to Reverse It," in CATA 339:
Persuasion, which describes the cost of incivility:
Gresham's Law of Communication
says, 'Bad communication drives out good--when both are equally
acceptable.' Rude, insulting, profane, and inflammatory
discussions drive out those which are courteous and respectful.2
Facilitating Civil Discourse
As with any communication skill you might incorporate
into your class, civil discourse must complement, rather than
compromise, your course content. Some strategies you might try
include:
 | identify the controversial issues of your
course early in the semester. In ENGL 110, for instance, grades
inherently inform the class dynamic, whether we talk about them
or not. Rather than ignore what is there, I raise the issue and
encourage discussion, usually helping us move on to related
concepts and strategies.
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| create, with your students, a Statement of Communication
Expectations for your class. Encourage the students to
think not so much about "rules" but rather strategies to insure
that everyone can talk freely about course issues that might
include race, gender, politics, and so on.
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| identify the productive, civil discussions
that already take place in your courses, letting students know
that we value such intellectual exploration.
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| ask students to identify examples of civil
and uncivil treatment of course issues in the news.
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| incorporate activities into your class that
complement your content while promoting civil discourse, such as
The Fishbowl, which Marlo Belschner will discuss in next week's CAC Suggestion.
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What strategies have worked for you? Pass
them on, please, and we'll include them here.
1 Monmouth College Catalog
(2006-2007), 3.
2 Cloud, Michael.
"Gresham's Law of Communication--and How to Reverse It." The
Liberator Online 12.2 (2007). 24 January 2007 <http://www.theadvocates.
org/liberator/vol-12-num-2.html>. |
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