Understanding Everyday Incivility

Diving into the annoying behaviors that color our day-to-day interactions with other people, author Shelley D. Lane considers why we label certain acts as rude, crude, or selfish and others as polite and proper. This book offers strategies for responding effectively and appropriately to what we may interpret as incivility.

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Understanding Everyday Incivility delves into the day-to-day annoying behaviors that color our interactions with other people, such as the use of crude language in public, family members who claim that they’re “just teasing” and we’re “too sensitive,” coworkers who constantly interrupt us, and inflammatory remarks posted on social media sites.

Shelley D. Lane explores what is considered uncivil behavior, why we label some acts as crude or selfish while others are deemed polite and proper, and how these labels often change from one context to the next. She highlights the power dynamics at play in our interactions and explains how “rude” behavior can sometimes be beneficial—and “polite” behavior can be detrimental. Rather than a simplistic manual of manners, Lane provides the tools to understand everyday incivility and strategies for responding effectively and appropriately.