Maverick Magazine Fall 2021: Bringing Civil Discourse Back to Society

Civil discourse often seems to be in short supply nowadays. Political talk shows feature fiery partisan exchanges filled with yelling and interrupting. Social media posts ridicule people with opposing views and intensify echo chambers. People focus on getting their way rather than engaging others in a dialogue grounded in mutual respect. In short, it seems like people do not know how to disagree anymore.

Stuart Sidle, Ph.D., dean of the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SSBS), believes that higher education — and Mercy College in particular — has an important role to play in bringing civil discourse back to society. The challenge on campuses lies in balancing free speech and the free exchange of ideas with the need to protect the most vulnerable and marginalized. 

To read the more of this article in the fall 2021 issue of Maverick Magazine, please click here. 

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