Civility Module Essay

Overview: The readings in this module have
focused on civility. Think about these ideas from the readings:

*Appiah’s article
argues that multiculturalism does not solve the divisive problems in our
society which calls for a “civic culture” where “everyone recognizes that
people are entitled to respect whatever their gender or sexuality, their race
or religion, and wherever they came from.”
*Plante writes
that we must work together to return to a civic culture in which “all
interactions (in person and online) are conducted with respect and compassion, and that people who don’t
behave in a civil manner are provided with corrective feedback.”

*However, Fadel
writes that “The calls for civility can feel like an effort to stifle people’s
outrage over injustice or hate, because civility can be a tool to build or a
weapon to silence” (Fadel).
*Meanwhile,
Ronson writes about the powerful effects of internet shaming, and interviews a
person whose life was destroyed by a tweet, noting the “disconnect between the
severity of the crime and the gleeful savagery of the punishment.”

For this essay, you will RESPOND to the questions
raised in Fadel’s article by focusing on the following passage:

“To what purpose is civility going to be used? Is it going to be more
inclusive? Is it going to mean that you’re bringing more people’s voices into
the political debates, or are you using civility as a way to go back to the old
hierarchies and the status quo since the founding of the American
republic?” (qtd. in Fadel).

PROMPT: In America, HOW is civility being used? Is it a TOOL to build
and “bring more voices” into the discussion of important issues, or is
it a WEAPON for silence that’s being used to keep the same group of people in
charge, to SILENCE the growing number of women, minorities and other
disenfranchised citizens. What EXAMPLES can you give from the READINGS that
JUSTIFY your opinion?
ASSIGNMENT: WRITE A 5-7 paragraph documented essay
to answer the above questions.

1. In Your
OPENING: Compose a thesis that takes a clear stance and addresses the essential
question: Is Civility a Tool to Build or a Weapon to Silence? Use words from the question (“tool” or “weapon”) in
your Thesis and be sure to include a clear PREVIEW or MOD sentence (outlined in
notes from Required Texts)
2. In Your BODY
PARAGRAPHS: Support your argument with documented passages from this module’s
readings:
·
Reference Fadel’s article
·
Include a case study in civility that supports your
argument (you may use Ronson’s article, or another example)
·
Incorporate two
additional sources from the module to support your argument
·
Cite from ALL FOUR of the assigned sources from this module
3.
In Your CLOSING PARAGRAPH: Evaluate America’s current state
of civility- is it good enough as it is, or does it need to change? What might
we citizens do to ensure civility?

Audience: Write for an
audience that is not in this class. That means you’ll need to spend some time summarizing
key ideas, defining any terms that might be unfamiliar, choosing
short quotes from the reading selections to help your reader get a sense of
the authors’ arguments. Be sure to USE CONTEXT to thoroughly explain HOW your
cited passages prove your opinion is true.

Last Completed Projects