Assure Civil Discourse

I recently received a request from the St. Joe Valley Notre Dame Club to co-present the annual Hesburgh lecture. They asked me to team up with Notre Dame business professor Amanda McKendree to discuss the topic of civil discourse and provide the audience with advice for becoming a better discussion partner.

Abstract. In this article, we test and compare several message-based nudges designed to promote civil discourse and reduce the circulation of harmful conte

Civil discourse is crucial for fostering understanding and collaboration in a diverse society. Challenges with civil discourse can arise in homes, workplace ...

What is civil discourse? Civil discourse is the practice of deliberating about matters of public concern in a way that seeks to expand knowledge and promote understanding.

(DOI: 10.58680/ej202332230) To highlight the importance of civil discourse, an English education scholar worked with teachers to develop strategies for teaching argument that promote respectful engagement with controversial topics.

To improve quality of life, all communities must engage in civic discourse about issues of common concern, which may elicit divergent opinions particularly in liberal democracies. Appropriate forums with properly articulated and understood rules of engagement help organize  discussions and discourses and enable them to remain civil even when contending parties hold strong and disparate opinions.

(DOI: 10.4148/2637-4552.1177) Research suggests that America today is more politically polarized and less capable of conducting civil public discourse than at least the last several decades. These greater cultural factors unsurprisingly seem to have trickled into American schools, as teachers report increased divisiveness and conflict, particularly directed toward historically-marginalized groups, in class. While it seems sensible that public schools should play a role in teaching American children how to civilly speak with people different than themselves, teachers are often unprepared to do so. This paper describes a project-based learning activity conducted during the Fall 2022 semester which was designed to empower pre-service teachers with practical tools to promote civil discourse in their future classrooms.

The tools and strategies in this guide will help you prepare students to engage in difficult conversations on topics that matter to them, to their communities, and to our world.