Join us for a stimulating event series focused on Civil Discourse, featuring a panel discussion on human dignity, an art exhibition of work by photographer Stevan Maxwell, an exploration of civil discourse with Dr. Maureen Neal, and a thoughtful discussion about compassionate communicate with local teacher Kelly Hass.

Understanding Civil Discourse and Political Correctness Lecture:

What are the social and linguistic boundaries of respectful and equitable public speech and conversation? What role does political correctness play in civil discourse? This discussion-based workshop will focus on the general nature of civil discourse and one of its specific linguistic components, political correctness. We'll first attempt to define these concepts by considering a number of open questions: What is political correctness, anyway? What is its history, and when did it originate? Why do people use it? What social factors (such as audience and purpose) might trigger its use? How does free speech come into play when we talk about political correctness and civil discourse? How does political correctness operate within the large framework of the English language? We will also take up the question of whether, as some people believe, political correctness does more harm than good. It's not hard to see that engaging in civil, respectful discourse benefits us as members of a democratic society and is a good thing; can we say the same about political correctness?

*Note* This program is not intended to be a lecture, but an exploration of how language works in our culture.

About Dr. Maureen Neal:

Maureen Neal is a recently-retired professor of English ( Colorado Mesa University Emerita) with a passion for language and all things linguistic. Her areas of academic expertise are sociolinguistics, English education, and composition, and she has been a frequent reader in the CMU Poets and Writers series, where her interests lie in creative nonfiction and memoir.

Civil Discourse Event Series Schedule:

• March 15 - May 10: Faces and Voices: Homeless in America Photography Exhibit by Stevan Maxwell - Central Library
• 10 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 17: Myths and Facts of Living Without Housing hosted by Grand valley Peace & Justice - Central Library
• 6:30 - 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 17: Human Dignity for All Panel Discussion - Central Library Community Room
• 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 25: Civil Discourse Exploration with Dr. Maureen Neal - Central Library Community Room
• 6 - 7:30 p.m., Monday, April 30: Compassionate Communication with Kelly Hass - Central Library Community Room