Become Aware, Culturally Competent & Engaged (ACE)
“Engaging in behaviors that are aggressive, sarcastic, demeaning, and insulting appear to be much more commonplace and perhaps have become normalized” in today’s societal standards (Plante, 2017). Civility is the act of showing regard for others by being polite. When you show civility, you use kindness and good manners. You are respectful, even if you do not agree with or even care for the person. Civility is what we are desperately missing and yearning for deeply in many areas of our lives. “Social media, talk radio, cable news, and well-known leaders in politics, athletics, entertainment, and business who engage in and are often reinforced for incivility encourage further deterioration of a respectful and polite society” (Plante, 2017). A better world can be created through civility.
As Dukes, “we seek to embrace and practice the ethical principle of “respecting the dignity and worth of all people” and create a climate of civility, respect, and inclusion” throughout the JMU community. The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DDEI) will be providing several opportunities for our community to become Aware, Culturally Competent, and Engaged (ACE) during national civility month; August 1-31st.
As Dukes, “we strive to accomplish this goal by interacting and communicating with others in a spirit of mutual respect and an openness to listen as well as to consider all points of view. While we may disagree on important issues, we debate and express our ideas in a collegial, civilized, and professional manner. We understand that individuals from diverse cultures and groups may have varying customs and beliefs we expect all to be respectful and mindful of these differences and norms” (APA, 2017).
Tangible Methods to Demonstrate Civility
- Think carefully before speaking
- Differentiate and articulate facts from opinions
- Focus on the common good
- Disagree with others respectfully
- Be open to others without hostility
- Respect diverse views and groups
- Offer a spirit of collegiality
- Offer productive and corrective feedback to those who behave in demeaning, insulting, disrespectful, and discriminatory ways
- Create a welcoming environment for all
- Focus corrective feedback on one’s best and most desirable behavior
- Recognize and/or remember that we have different backgrounds.
- Listen and also share. Share briefly from your own experiences when appropriate, rather than simply your positions.
- Build on your classmates’ comments. Acknowledge them, even if you disagree with them.
- Be careful not to generalize about people.
- Use “I” statements to state your views. For example, “I notice that when I’m with my friends we pay attention differently” is more constructive than “When you’re with friends you pay attention differently.”
- Respond to what is said in class, without attributing motivation to the speaker (this can be very challenging).
- Consider the difference between responding to express yourself and responding to get an idea across to people who have different preconceptions than yours.
- Consider who gets left out, who is marginalized, under-represented, or erased by particular claims.
- desirable behavior
- Interrupting and talking over others who have the floor
- Overgeneralizing and offering dispositional character criticisms and attributions
- Using language that is perceived as being aggressive, sarcastic, or demeaning
- Speaking too often or for too long
- Engaging in disrespectful non-verbal behaviors (e.g., eye rolling, loud sighs)
- Offering false praise or disingenuous comments (e.g., “With all due respect but…”)
Explore Civility with JMU
During August, National Civility Month, and throughout the academic year, JMU is placing an emphasis on showing civility to others. These concepts can be used throughout the year to improve our lives, and those of our others in our community.
