"Civility Sucks! The Risks and Rewards of Being Uncivil" Program
R
- Date/Time
- 09/12/2012 12:00 PM EST - 1:30 PM EST
- Location
- Webb University Center - James Lynnhaven River Room
- Description
- Too often, when it comes to politics, being civil is equated with an aversion to offending others with supposedly opposing points of view and therefore a preference for saying nothing.As the adage goes, "if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all." This form of civility is not only deeply offensive in its embedded presumption that "others" - whether conservatives or liberals, progressives or libertarians, democrats or republicans - simply cannot handle meaningful disagreement in a mature manner, but moreover, it also promotes disengagement from fellow citizens and from the political process, rather than strengthening and deepening America's greatest democratic principal, the right to dissent. In this talk, I argue that perhaps counter intuitively, civility often shuts down discourse and deepens political divides, whereas risking coming across as uncivil might actually help forge new political partnerships, perspectives and principles. Speaker Bio: Dr. Avi Santo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication and Theatre Arts. His research on intellectual property and identity management in a digital world is deeply informed by critical race theory and theories of participatory culture. He hopes to demonstrate the ways these ideas might be translated into new modes of civility in this upcoming election. For more information on this or other Social Entrepreneurship Programs: contact us at sec@odu.edu, (757) 683-4406 or http://studentaffairs.odu.edu/oir/entrepreneurship/ Sponsored by the Office of Intercultural Relations, The Social Entrepreneurs Council and Student Engagement and Enrollment Services.