politics and civility

[Stephen Chilton]

On 7 Aug 1997, Noelle McAfee wrote (among other things): 

By the way, I'm very interested -- theoretically and practically -- in
politics and the Frankfurt School (and feminism and poststructuralism).  I
find rather boring debates that try to separate politics from academe and
theory from practice.  (What kind of practice doesn't have some theory
behind it?  My political work in labor unions and progressive politics is
certainly informed by theory.)

DITTO.

                         And I find rather offensive the ad hominem
attacks that go on here -- by a very loud minority (maybe a minority of
one?).  It is disheartening, and quite a departure from the civility I find
on other lists I'm on (--especially, by the way, lists with more women on
them). My guess is that the tiresome ones on this list have other issues in
their lives, I don't know what.  I just wish we weren't subjected to them.

I like Doug's approach.  I'd like to add to it with an example.  Some
colleagues of mine were part of an ongoing dialogue, during the cold war,
between prominent Americans and Soviets (prominent but not officials of
government).  They met once or twice a year for thirty years, trying to
create a public space for unnofficial diplomacy. (They were called the
Dartmouth Conferences.) They developed an etiquette that might be useful
here.  Whenever a newcomer would join them who liked to launch into some
vitriolic attack on the other side, the rest of the participants would fold
their hands and begin staring at the ceiling until the newcomer got the
message.  Now, they were decidedly not in the business of avoiding hard
issues -- but they did know that *vitriol didn't help such deliberations,
it only sidetracked them*.

INTERESTING!

Could we develop a cyber-analog of this etiquette?  Remember, civility is
not just a matter of "being nice"; it's a matter of creating a space in
which public deliberation (not posturing) can take place.  Any takers?

AS ALL OF US DO, I MAKE JUDGMENTS ABOUT FOLKS ON THE LIST, AND I MAY
OR MAY NOT OPEN THE POSTS OF FOLKS WHOSE ABUSIVE MANNER DISRUPTS
INTELLIGENT DISCOURSE.  AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER I OPEN THE POSTS
OR NOT, I *NEVER* REPLY TO ABUSIVE ONES, WHETHER OF ME OR OTHERS. (I
MAY WRITE A SHORT, PRIVATE NOTE OF SUPPORT TO THE PERSON BEING
ABUSED.)  THAT'S MY POLICY, AND I OFFER IT PUBLICLY BECAUSE IF WE
ARE TO CREATE THE SPACE FOR PUBLIC DELIBERATION, AS NOELLE SUGGESTS,
WE NEED TO STATE OUR INTENTIONS TO EACH OTHER. 

BEST TO ALL,
STEVE

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| Stephen Chilton, Associate Professor, Dept of Pol Science |
|    Univ of Minnesota-Duluth / Duluth, MN 55812-2496 / USA |
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