Creating a New Civility
Joy Marsella
9781629221885
175 pages
University of Akron Press
Overview
Why are people rude, nasty, and negative? Because, we are told, it works for them. Creating a New Civility makes a strong case that such conduct doesn’t work in any lasting way. This timely book discusses how we, as a culture, can move away from negativity and create civility at both the personal and community levels. Using the metaphor of a journey, Joy Marsella proposes a series of practical steps to work toward a greater civility. Although the end of the journey results in the common good, the steps along the way—identity, mindfulness, listening, empathy, and reasoning—are also valuable destinations. Her model gently guides readers to develop their own insights and to integrate them into their daily lives.
Author Bio
World travel and fifteen homes in ten communities; a doctorate in American Studies, a professorship in the University of Hawai’i’s Department of English, scholarship on Louisa May Alcott, innovative teaching and administrative work, and the good fortune to learn from students of diverse cultures; a personal journey as Ohio farm girl, wife, mother, retiree, and divorcée; an abiding love of books and nature—this lifetime of experiences fold into Joy Marsella’s vision of a new civility. Read more about her and find ways to create civility at www.civilitydynamics.com.
