ERIC Number: EJ919119
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Mar
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1477-8785
EISSN: N/A
When to Shut Students Up: Civility, Silencing, and Free Speech
Callan, Eamonn
Theory and Research in Education, v9 n1 p3-22 Mar 2011
Teachers sometimes shut students up for the sake of civility. My question is whether silencing for the sake of civility can be morally justified when a student derogates fellow students as members of some widely stigmatized group, and the offending speech is not for any further reason to be deplored, for example, as a personally targeted insult. Exploring possible answers to that question sheds light on a bigger issue: the proper character of "civility regimes" in educational institutions whenever group stigmatization persists in the social background and impinges seriously on some students' lives. A plausible argument for silencing under the conditions specified is derived from respect for students' equal dignity and the protection of fair educational opportunity. That argument is nonetheless defeated by considerations about the rightful place of intellectual candor in a culture of free speech and the centrality of educational institutions in supporting candor's development. (Contains 15 notes.)
Descriptors: Classroom Environment, Teacher Student Relationship, Classroom Communication, Intellectual Freedom, Controversial Issues (Course Content), Sanctions, Barriers, Student Behavior, Teacher Responsibility, Group Dynamics, Prosocial Behavior, Educational Opportunities, Freedom of Speech, Political Socialization, Equal Education, Social Attitudes, Hidden Curriculum, Verbal Communication, Antisocial Behavior, Ethics
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A

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