Commentary: Searching for civility on campus

"Americans and Britons have been shocked to see civility break down on some university campuses in recent years due to passionate conflicts over issues like gender identity and the war in Gaza. My research suggests that universities went astray because they tried to be all things to all people. They promised to create very diverse communities, host debates on sensitive social and political questions, and yet also maintain a consistently warm and nurturing social atmosphere. But it is human nature to feel uncomfortable around people challenge our most cherished beliefs.

"If students arrive on campus expecting an idyllic social atmosphere, they will feel betrayed when university administrators fail to protect their feelings by suppressing speech they find painful and offensive. Universities are more likely to keep the peace if they encourage students to arrive with more realistic social expectations.

"Disagreement on heartfelt matters is painful, but it can lead to greater wisdom about the diversity of human values and the necessity of working peacefully and productively with people we may not like or admire as much as we wish we did. 

"A student body prepared for the social and emotional costs of disagreement would be less like a pressure cooker and more like a tea kettle. After the explosive events we have seen on campuses of late, we should welcome the shrill but stable whistle of mere civility on campus."