Against Civility: A Feminist Perspective

Zerilli, Linda M. G.

doi:10.1017/cbo9781107479852.005

Cited by 38 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…The idea that appeals to civility have functioned historically to stifle dissent is made forcefully by Linda Zerilli:Throughout American history, disenfranchised minorities, such as women and African-Americans, have been regularly accused of incivility just by virtue of daring to show up in public and press their rights claims … the charge of incivility was a way of masking and managing disruptive demands to inclusion in the public realm (Zerilli, 2014, 108).…”

Section: Incivility As Dissentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incivility as Dissent

Edyvane

2019

Political Studies

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State attempts to legislate for civility, such as the UK’s Injunctions to Prevent Nuisance and Annoyance, are usually challenged on libertarian grounds. This article develops a novel democratic challenge to such legislation, arguing that un-civil behaviours sometimes constitute masked expressions of dissent. It first elaborates a conceptual analysis, linking the forms of annoying behaviour targeted by legislation with the practice of incivility. It then articulates a structural association between incivility and dissent and develops on that basis a substantive normative case for the democratic value of incivility. In this way, the article highlights the role of bad behaviour in sustaining liberal democratic institutions and the ways in which the tradition of political thought about civil disobedience can obscure the possibilities of democratic dissent. It thereby informs public debates about the ‘crisis of civility’ in modern society and offers a new perspective on scholarly debates about the ethics of resistance.

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Section: Incivility As Dissentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incivility as Dissent

Edyvane

2019

Political Studies

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“…This branding makes sense if one considers that by entering history books as the extolled method of the civil rights movement, civil disobedience has lost some of its potential to provoke. Activists may also seek to embrace the charge of incivility , which is typically deployed by the powerful in order to deny certain claims of inclusion made by oppressed groups (see, e.g., Zerilli, ). In other words, the reason why many recent forms of protest fit poorly the standard concept of civil disobedience may simply be that they are not, do not aspire to be, and should not be treated as acts of civil disobedience.…”

Section: The Concept Of Civil Disobediencementioning

confidence: 99%

Civil Disobedience

Delmas

2016

Philosophy Compass

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Many historical and recent forms of protest usually referred to as civil disobedience do not fit the standard philosophical definition of “civil disobedience”. The moral and political importance of this point is explained in section 1, and two theoretical lessons are drawn: one, we should broaden the concept of civil disobedience, and two, we should start thinking about uncivil disobedience. Section 2 is devoted to the main objections against, and theorists' defenses of, civil disobedience.

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“…Proponents of civility, Zerilli argues, view the issue as an ethical one in which the overriding concern is interpersonal relations and how people ought to treat other people. By contrast, critics of civility (such as, Zerilli) see the problem as a political one having to do with the borders drawn around the political sphere, what counts as acceptable political action, and what are identified as matters of shared political concern (2014, 112–14). Their focus is on more far‐reaching, impersonal relations of power between groups.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Not only do emotions and the gut have relational roots, according to Springs, but they open new ways to engage with and critique others. Moreover, Springs argues, the very fact that one has chosen to appeal to the gut (or, according to Zerilli [2014, 112], to employ other supposedly uncivil tactics) may be an important clue for the critical analysis of power relations so central to healthy conflict, as it may indicate the exclusion of a particular group from the more traditional arenas of exchange of public reason (Springs 2018, 261). That is, members of marginalized and vulnerable groups may be more likely to behave uncivilly or impolitely, to intentionally provoke conflict, or to appeal to identity and emotion and the gut because they have been systematically prevented from participating in other ways.…”

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confidence: 99%

Justice, Virtue, and Power in Democratic Conflict

Kellison¹

2020

Journal of Religious Ethics

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The question of how to respond to the deep political divides in the United States today has resulted in the emergence of two camps. On one side are those who argue that the cultivation of civic virtues like civility will lead to more respectful interpersonal relationships through which consensus and mutual understanding can be built. On the other are those who argue that our commitment to justice is primary and may require uncivil behavior to disrupt and change unjust structural relationships. In Healthy Conflict in Contemporary American Society, Jason Springs helps to bridge the divide between these two positions. Because he takes a relational approach that centers both interpersonal and structural relationships, Springs makes both mutual respect and just structures central to his conception of healthy conflict. Taking relationality seriously thus helps to overcome this impasse, but it also raises significant questions about the impact of asymmetrical relationships on citizens’ responsibilities to engage in healthy conflict.

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Against Civility: A Feminist Perspective

Cited by 38 publications

References 11 publications

Incivility as Dissent

Incivility as Dissent

Civil Disobedience

Justice, Virtue, and Power in Democratic Conflict

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