{"id":4482,"date":"2021-04-02T22:13:18","date_gmt":"2021-04-02T22:13:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=4482"},"modified":"2024-04-30T22:49:48","modified_gmt":"2024-04-30T22:49:48","slug":"debates-and-incivility","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/chapter\/debates-and-incivility\/","title":{"raw":"Debates and Incivility","rendered":"Debates and Incivility"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\r\n<h3>Learning Outcomes<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Describe strategies for engaging in civil debates<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>Debates: Civility vs. Incivility<\/h2>\r\nHealthy debate is a desirable part of a community. In a healthy debate, people are given room to explain their point of view. In a healthy airing of differences, people on opposing sides of an argument can reach common ground and compromise or even agree to disagree and move on.\r\n\r\nHowever, incivility occurs when people are not culturally competent. An individual who is not culturally competent might make negative assumptions about others\u2019 values, lack an open mindset, or be inflexible in thinking. Instead of being tolerant of different points of view, they may try to shut down communication by not listening or by keeping someone with a different point of view from being heard at all. Out of frustration, a person who is uncivil may resort to name-calling or attempt to discredit another person, or may purposely sow confusion and division within a community. Incivility can also propagate violence. Such uncivil reactions to difficult issues are what make many people avoid certain topics altogether. Instead of seeking out diverse communities, people retreat to safe spaces where they will not be challenged by opposing opinions or have their beliefs contested.\r\n\r\nDebates on difficult or divisive topics surrounding diversity, especially those promoting orchestrated change, are often passionate. People on each side may base their positions on deeply held beliefs, family traditions, personal experience, academic expertise, and a desire to effect change. With such a strong foundation, emotions can be intense, and debates can become uncivil.\r\n\r\nEven when the disagreement is based on information rather than personal feelings, discussions can quickly turn to arguments. For example, in academic environments, it\u2019s common to find extremely well-informed arguments in direct opposition to each other. Two well-known economics faculty members from your college could debate for hours on financial policies, with each professor\u2019s position backed by data, research, and publications. Each person could feel very strongly that they are right and the other person is wrong. They may even feel that the approach proposed by their opponent would actually do damage to the country or to certain groups of people. But for this debate\u2014whether it occurs over lunch or on an auditorium stage\u2014to remain civil, the participants need to maintain certain standards of behavior.\r\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\r\n<h3>respectful debate<\/h3>\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Describe a time when you could not reach an agreement with someone on a controversial issue.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Did you try to compromise, combining your points of view so that each of you would be partially satisfied?<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Did either of you shut down communication? Was ending the conversation a good choice? Why or why not?<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<strong>Civility<\/strong> is a valued practice that takes advantage of cultural and political systems we have in place to work through disagreements while maintaining respect for others\u2019 points of view. Civil behavior allows for a respectful airing of grievances. The benefit of civil discussion is that members of a community can hear different sides of an argument, weigh evidence, and decide for themselves which side to support.\r\n\r\nYou have probably witnessed or taken part in debates in your courses, at social events, or even at family gatherings. What makes people so passionate about certain issues? First, some may have a personal stake in an issue, such as abortion rights. Convincing other people to share their beliefs may be intended to create a community that will protect such rights. Second, others may have deeply held beliefs based on faith or longstanding cultural practices. They argue based on deeply held moral and ethical beliefs. Third, others may be limited in their background knowledge about an issue but are able to speak from a script of conventional points of view. They may not want to stray from the script because they do not have enough information to extend or complicate an argument.\r\n<h3>Rules for Fair Debate<\/h3>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_4475\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"800\"]<a href=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5571\/2016\/09\/02180836\/debate.jpeg\"><img class=\"wp-image-4475 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5571\/2016\/09\/02180836\/debate.jpeg\" alt=\"A professor and his students all sit around a table discussing the course material.\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/a> You\u2019ll participate in classroom or workplace debate throughout your academic or professional career. Civility is important to productive discussions and will lead to worthwhile outcomes. (Credit: Creative Sustainability \/ Flickr \/ Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC-BY 2.0))[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe courtroom and the public square are not the only places where serious debate takes place. Every day we tackle tough decisions that involve other people, some of whom have strong opposing points of view. To be successful in college, you will need to master sound and ethical approaches to argument, whether it be for a mathematical proof or an essay in a composition class.\r\n\r\nAn ethical approach to argument is one proceeds from a position of empathy, and with a commitment to mutually observing a basic level of civility. A sound argument is one that is coherent and demonstrably the result of careful and sincere preparation and engagement. It should endeavor to avoid logical fallacies, several of which are described below. A <strong>logical fallacy<\/strong> is\u00a0a commonplace error in one's thinking or rationale that undermines and discredits an argument\r\n\r\nYou probably already know how to be sensitive and thoughtful when giving feedback to a family member or friend. You think about their feelings and the best way to confront your disagreement without attacking them. Of course, sometimes it\u2019s easier to be less sensitive with people who love you no matter what. Still, whether in a classroom, a workplace, or your family dinner table, there are rules for debating that help people with opposing points of view get to the heart of an issue while remaining civil:\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Avoid direct insults and personal attacks<\/strong>\u2014the quickest way to turn someone away from your discussion is to attack them personally. This is actually a common logical fallacy called ad hominem, which means \u201cto the person,\u201d and it means to attack the person rather than the issue.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Avoid generalizations and extreme examples<\/strong>\u2014these are two more logical fallacies called bandwagon, or ad populum, and reduction to absurdity, or argumentum ad absurdum. The first is when you argue that everyone is doing something so it must be right. The second is when you argue that a belief or position would lead to an absurd or extreme outcome.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Avoid appealing to emotions rather than facts<\/strong>\u2014it\u2019s easy to get emotional if you\u2019re debating something about which you feel passionate. Someone disagreeing with you can feel like a personal affront. This fallacy, called argument to compassion, appeals to one\u2019s emotions and happens when we mistake feelings for facts. While strong and motivating, our feelings are not great arbiters of the truth.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Avoid irrelevant arguments<\/strong>\u2014sometimes it\u2019s easy to change the subject when we\u2019re debating, especially if we feel flustered or like we\u2019re not being heard. Irrelevant conclusion is the fallacy of introducing a topic that may or may not be sound logic but is not about the issue under debate.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Avoid appeal to bias<\/strong>\u2014you may not have strong opinions on every topic but, no doubt, you are opinionated about things that matter to you. This strong view can create a bias, or a leaning toward an idea or belief. While there\u2019s nothing wrong with having a strong opinion, you must be mindful to ensure that your bias doesn\u2019t create prejudice. Ask yourself if your biases influence the ways in which you interact with other people and with ideas that differ from your own.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Avoid appeal to tradition<\/strong>\u2014just because something worked in the past or was true in the past does not necessarily mean that it is true today. It\u2019s easy to commit this fallacy, as we often default to \u201cIf it ain\u2019t broke, don\u2019t fix it.\u201d It\u2019s appealing because it seems to be common sense. However, it ignores questions such as whether the existing or old policy truly works as well as it could and if new technology or new ways of thinking can offer an improvement. Old ways can certainly be good ways, but not simply because they are old.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Avoid making assumptions<\/strong>\u2014often, we think we know enough about a topic or maybe even more than the person talking, so we jump ahead to the outcome. We assume we know what they\u2019re referring to, thinking about, or even imagining, but this is a dangerous practice because it often leads to misunderstandings. In fact, most logical fallacies are the result of assuming.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Strive for root cause analysis<\/strong>\u2014getting at the root cause of something means to dig deeper and deeper until you discover why a problem or disagreement occurred. Sometimes, the most obvious or immediate cause for a problem is not actually the most significant one. Discovering the root cause can help to resolve the conflict or reveal that there isn\u2019t one at all.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Avoid obstinacy<\/strong>\u2014in the heat of a debate, it\u2019s easy to dig in your heels and refuse to acknowledge when you\u2019re wrong. Your argument is at stake, and so is your ego. However, it\u2019s important to give credit where it\u2019s due and to say you\u2019re wrong if you are. If you misquoted a fact or made an incorrect assumption, admit to it and move on.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Strive for resolution<\/strong>\u2014while some people like to debate for the sake of debating, in the case of a true conflict, both parties should seek agreement, or at least a truce. One way to do this is to listen more than you speak. Listen, listen, listen: you\u2019ll learn and perhaps make better points of your own if you deeply consider the other point of view.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\r\nhttps:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/1b0f7c3c-97c6-4dbf-8c27-ef9e94dfdff8\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\r\n<h3>incivility in the news<\/h3>\r\nHave you ever witnessed incivility in person or an argument in the news? Briefly describe what happened. Why do you think individuals are willing to shut down communication over issues they are passionate about?\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h3>Online Civility<\/h3>\r\nThe Internet is one of the watershed innovations of our time. It provides incredible access to information and resources, helping us to connect in ways inconceivable just a few decades ago. But it also presents risks, and these risks seem to be changing and increasing at the same rate as technology itself. Because of our regular access to the Internet, it\u2019s important to create a safe, healthy, and enjoyable online space.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_4476\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1759\"]<a href=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5571\/2016\/09\/02181110\/onlinecivility.png\"><img class=\"wp-image-4476 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5571\/2016\/09\/02181110\/onlinecivility.png\" alt=\"Half of respondents believe that the situation will improve for both &quot;Technology and social media companies' tools and policies to encourage respectful and civil behavior while punishing bad conduct&quot; and &quot;Your ability to protect your personal information and privacy online&quot;. However, only about a third of respondents felt that the situation would improve in the following three cases: &quot;Online discussions about local, national, or international politics&quot;, &quot;The number of women who experience sexual harassment or abuse online&quot;, and &quot;The number of teens who are bullied, harassed, or abused online&quot;.\" width=\"1759\" height=\"1292\" \/><\/a> Microsoft\u2019s Digital Civility Research survey asked people their opinions on the future of online behavior and communication. While in some cases, the respondents thought circumstances would improve, predictions about the others, such as harassment and bullying, are more bleak. (Credit: Based on work from Microsoft, \u201cExpectations for Digital Civility 2020.\u201d)[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIn the survey conducted by Microsoft, \u201cnearly 4 in 10 [respondents] feel unwanted online contact (39%), bullying (39%) and unwelcome sexual attention (39%) will worsen [in 2020]. A slightly smaller percentage (35%) expect people\u2019s reputations, both professional and personal, will continue to be attacked online. One-quarter (25%) of respondents see improvement across each of these risk areas in 2020.\u201d\r\n\r\n<strong>Digital civility<\/strong> is the practice of leading with empathy and kindness in all online interactions and treating each other with respect and dignity. This type of civility requires users to fully understand and appreciate potential harms and to follow the new rules of the digital road. Following, are some basic guidelines to help exercise digital civility:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Live the \u201cGolden Rule\u201d and treat others with respect and dignity both online and off.<\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Respect differences of culture, geography, and opinion, and when disagreements surface, engage thoughtfully.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Pause before replying to comments or posts you disagree with, and ensure responses are considerate and free of name-calling and abuse.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Stand up for yourself and others if it\u2019s safe and prudent to do so.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\r\n<h3>GLOSSARY<\/h3>\r\n<strong>civility:<\/strong> the practice of\u00a0working through disagreements while maintaining respect for others\u2019 points of view\r\n\r\n<strong>digital civility:<\/strong>\u00a0the practice of leading with empathy, kindness, and mutual respect in all online interactions\r\n\r\n<strong>logical fallacy:<\/strong> a commonplace error in one's thinking or rationale that undermines and discredits an argument\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>Learning Outcomes<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Describe strategies for engaging in civil debates<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Debates: Civility vs. Incivility<\/h2>\n<p>Healthy debate is a desirable part of a community. In a healthy debate, people are given room to explain their point of view. In a healthy airing of differences, people on opposing sides of an argument can reach common ground and compromise or even agree to disagree and move on.<\/p>\n<p>However, incivility occurs when people are not culturally competent. An individual who is not culturally competent might make negative assumptions about others\u2019 values, lack an open mindset, or be inflexible in thinking. Instead of being tolerant of different points of view, they may try to shut down communication by not listening or by keeping someone with a different point of view from being heard at all. Out of frustration, a person who is uncivil may resort to name-calling or attempt to discredit another person, or may purposely sow confusion and division within a community. Incivility can also propagate violence. Such uncivil reactions to difficult issues are what make many people avoid certain topics altogether. Instead of seeking out diverse communities, people retreat to safe spaces where they will not be challenged by opposing opinions or have their beliefs contested.<\/p>\n<p>Debates on difficult or divisive topics surrounding diversity, especially those promoting orchestrated change, are often passionate. People on each side may base their positions on deeply held beliefs, family traditions, personal experience, academic expertise, and a desire to effect change. With such a strong foundation, emotions can be intense, and debates can become uncivil.<\/p>\n<p>Even when the disagreement is based on information rather than personal feelings, discussions can quickly turn to arguments. For example, in academic environments, it\u2019s common to find extremely well-informed arguments in direct opposition to each other. Two well-known economics faculty members from your college could debate for hours on financial policies, with each professor\u2019s position backed by data, research, and publications. Each person could feel very strongly that they are right and the other person is wrong. They may even feel that the approach proposed by their opponent would actually do damage to the country or to certain groups of people. But for this debate\u2014whether it occurs over lunch or on an auditorium stage\u2014to remain civil, the participants need to maintain certain standards of behavior.<\/p>\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\n<h3>respectful debate<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Describe a time when you could not reach an agreement with someone on a controversial issue.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Did you try to compromise, combining your points of view so that each of you would be partially satisfied?<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Did either of you shut down communication? Was ending the conversation a good choice? Why or why not?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Civility<\/strong> is a valued practice that takes advantage of cultural and political systems we have in place to work through disagreements while maintaining respect for others\u2019 points of view. Civil behavior allows for a respectful airing of grievances. The benefit of civil discussion is that members of a community can hear different sides of an argument, weigh evidence, and decide for themselves which side to support.<\/p>\n<p>You have probably witnessed or taken part in debates in your courses, at social events, or even at family gatherings. What makes people so passionate about certain issues? First, some may have a personal stake in an issue, such as abortion rights. Convincing other people to share their beliefs may be intended to create a community that will protect such rights. Second, others may have deeply held beliefs based on faith or longstanding cultural practices. They argue based on deeply held moral and ethical beliefs. Third, others may be limited in their background knowledge about an issue but are able to speak from a script of conventional points of view. They may not want to stray from the script because they do not have enough information to extend or complicate an argument.<\/p>\n<h3>Rules for Fair Debate<\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_4475\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5571\/2016\/09\/02180836\/debate.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4475\" class=\"wp-image-4475 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5571\/2016\/09\/02180836\/debate.jpeg\" alt=\"A professor and his students all sit around a table discussing the course material.\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-4475\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">You\u2019ll participate in classroom or workplace debate throughout your academic or professional career. Civility is important to productive discussions and will lead to worthwhile outcomes. (Credit: Creative Sustainability \/ Flickr \/ Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC-BY 2.0))<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The courtroom and the public square are not the only places where serious debate takes place. Every day we tackle tough decisions that involve other people, some of whom have strong opposing points of view. To be successful in college, you will need to master sound and ethical approaches to argument, whether it be for a mathematical proof or an essay in a composition class.<\/p>\n<p>An ethical approach to argument is one proceeds from a position of empathy, and with a commitment to mutually observing a basic level of civility. A sound argument is one that is coherent and demonstrably the result of careful and sincere preparation and engagement. It should endeavor to avoid logical fallacies, several of which are described below. A <strong>logical fallacy<\/strong> is\u00a0a commonplace error in one&#8217;s thinking or rationale that undermines and discredits an argument<\/p>\n<p>You probably already know how to be sensitive and thoughtful when giving feedback to a family member or friend. You think about their feelings and the best way to confront your disagreement without attacking them. Of course, sometimes it\u2019s easier to be less sensitive with people who love you no matter what. Still, whether in a classroom, a workplace, or your family dinner table, there are rules for debating that help people with opposing points of view get to the heart of an issue while remaining civil:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Avoid direct insults and personal attacks<\/strong>\u2014the quickest way to turn someone away from your discussion is to attack them personally. This is actually a common logical fallacy called ad hominem, which means \u201cto the person,\u201d and it means to attack the person rather than the issue.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Avoid generalizations and extreme examples<\/strong>\u2014these are two more logical fallacies called bandwagon, or ad populum, and reduction to absurdity, or argumentum ad absurdum. The first is when you argue that everyone is doing something so it must be right. The second is when you argue that a belief or position would lead to an absurd or extreme outcome.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Avoid appealing to emotions rather than facts<\/strong>\u2014it\u2019s easy to get emotional if you\u2019re debating something about which you feel passionate. Someone disagreeing with you can feel like a personal affront. This fallacy, called argument to compassion, appeals to one\u2019s emotions and happens when we mistake feelings for facts. While strong and motivating, our feelings are not great arbiters of the truth.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Avoid irrelevant arguments<\/strong>\u2014sometimes it\u2019s easy to change the subject when we\u2019re debating, especially if we feel flustered or like we\u2019re not being heard. Irrelevant conclusion is the fallacy of introducing a topic that may or may not be sound logic but is not about the issue under debate.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Avoid appeal to bias<\/strong>\u2014you may not have strong opinions on every topic but, no doubt, you are opinionated about things that matter to you. This strong view can create a bias, or a leaning toward an idea or belief. While there\u2019s nothing wrong with having a strong opinion, you must be mindful to ensure that your bias doesn\u2019t create prejudice. Ask yourself if your biases influence the ways in which you interact with other people and with ideas that differ from your own.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Avoid appeal to tradition<\/strong>\u2014just because something worked in the past or was true in the past does not necessarily mean that it is true today. It\u2019s easy to commit this fallacy, as we often default to \u201cIf it ain\u2019t broke, don\u2019t fix it.\u201d It\u2019s appealing because it seems to be common sense. However, it ignores questions such as whether the existing or old policy truly works as well as it could and if new technology or new ways of thinking can offer an improvement. Old ways can certainly be good ways, but not simply because they are old.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Avoid making assumptions<\/strong>\u2014often, we think we know enough about a topic or maybe even more than the person talking, so we jump ahead to the outcome. We assume we know what they\u2019re referring to, thinking about, or even imagining, but this is a dangerous practice because it often leads to misunderstandings. In fact, most logical fallacies are the result of assuming.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Strive for root cause analysis<\/strong>\u2014getting at the root cause of something means to dig deeper and deeper until you discover why a problem or disagreement occurred. Sometimes, the most obvious or immediate cause for a problem is not actually the most significant one. Discovering the root cause can help to resolve the conflict or reveal that there isn\u2019t one at all.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Avoid obstinacy<\/strong>\u2014in the heat of a debate, it\u2019s easy to dig in your heels and refuse to acknowledge when you\u2019re wrong. Your argument is at stake, and so is your ego. However, it\u2019s important to give credit where it\u2019s due and to say you\u2019re wrong if you are. If you misquoted a fact or made an incorrect assumption, admit to it and move on.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Strive for resolution<\/strong>\u2014while some people like to debate for the sake of debating, in the case of a true conflict, both parties should seek agreement, or at least a truce. One way to do this is to listen more than you speak. Listen, listen, listen: you\u2019ll learn and perhaps make better points of your own if you deeply consider the other point of view.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"assessment_practice_1b0f7c3c-97c6-4dbf-8c27-ef9e94dfdff8\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assess.lumenlearning.com\/practice\/1b0f7c3c-97c6-4dbf-8c27-ef9e94dfdff8?iframe_resize_id=assessment_practice_id_1b0f7c3c-97c6-4dbf-8c27-ef9e94dfdff8\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:300px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"textbox exercises\">\n<h3>incivility in the news<\/h3>\n<p>Have you ever witnessed incivility in person or an argument in the news? Briefly describe what happened. Why do you think individuals are willing to shut down communication over issues they are passionate about?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Online Civility<\/h3>\n<p>The Internet is one of the watershed innovations of our time. It provides incredible access to information and resources, helping us to connect in ways inconceivable just a few decades ago. But it also presents risks, and these risks seem to be changing and increasing at the same rate as technology itself. Because of our regular access to the Internet, it\u2019s important to create a safe, healthy, and enjoyable online space.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_4476\" style=\"width: 1769px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5571\/2016\/09\/02181110\/onlinecivility.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4476\" class=\"wp-image-4476 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com\/courses-images\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5571\/2016\/09\/02181110\/onlinecivility.png\" alt=\"Half of respondents believe that the situation will improve for both &quot;Technology and social media companies' tools and policies to encourage respectful and civil behavior while punishing bad conduct&quot; and &quot;Your ability to protect your personal information and privacy online&quot;. However, only about a third of respondents felt that the situation would improve in the following three cases: &quot;Online discussions about local, national, or international politics&quot;, &quot;The number of women who experience sexual harassment or abuse online&quot;, and &quot;The number of teens who are bullied, harassed, or abused online&quot;.\" width=\"1759\" height=\"1292\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-4476\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Microsoft\u2019s Digital Civility Research survey asked people their opinions on the future of online behavior and communication. While in some cases, the respondents thought circumstances would improve, predictions about the others, such as harassment and bullying, are more bleak. (Credit: Based on work from Microsoft, \u201cExpectations for Digital Civility 2020.\u201d)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>In the survey conducted by Microsoft, \u201cnearly 4 in 10 [respondents] feel unwanted online contact (39%), bullying (39%) and unwelcome sexual attention (39%) will worsen [in 2020]. A slightly smaller percentage (35%) expect people\u2019s reputations, both professional and personal, will continue to be attacked online. One-quarter (25%) of respondents see improvement across each of these risk areas in 2020.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Digital civility<\/strong> is the practice of leading with empathy and kindness in all online interactions and treating each other with respect and dignity. This type of civility requires users to fully understand and appreciate potential harms and to follow the new rules of the digital road. Following, are some basic guidelines to help exercise digital civility:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Live the \u201cGolden Rule\u201d and treat others with respect and dignity both online and off.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Respect differences of culture, geography, and opinion, and when disagreements surface, engage thoughtfully.<\/li>\n<li>Pause before replying to comments or posts you disagree with, and ensure responses are considerate and free of name-calling and abuse.<\/li>\n<li>Stand up for yourself and others if it\u2019s safe and prudent to do so.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>GLOSSARY<\/h3>\n<p><strong>civility:<\/strong> the practice of\u00a0working through disagreements while maintaining respect for others\u2019 points of view<\/p>\n<p><strong>digital civility:<\/strong>\u00a0the practice of leading with empathy, kindness, and mutual respect in all online interactions<\/p>\n<p><strong>logical fallacy:<\/strong> a commonplace error in one&#8217;s thinking or rationale that undermines and discredits an argument<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-4482\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>College Success. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Amy Baldwin. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: OpenStax; Modified by Lumen Learning. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/college-success\/pages\/9-1-what-is-diversity-and-why-is-everybody-talking-about-it#footnote-ref3\">https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/college-success\/pages\/9-1-what-is-diversity-and-why-is-everybody-talking-about-it#footnote-ref3<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":169554,"menu_order":10,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"College Success\",\"author\":\"Amy Baldwin\",\"organization\":\"OpenStax; Modified by Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/college-success\/pages\/9-1-what-is-diversity-and-why-is-everybody-talking-about-it#footnote-ref3\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"051a9442-9750-45ac-b608-622dde8d8a4f, 643c52ae-0bf9-48af-bfd9-46665f4506c6","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-4482","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":130,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/4482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/169554"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/4482\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7544,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/4482\/revisions\/7544"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/130"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/4482\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=4482"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=4482"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/wm-collegesuccess-2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=4482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}