Posted by mist on March 31, 2002, at 22:06:58
In reply to Re: Civility vs. Propriety – Words, posted by Dr. Bob on March 31, 2002, at 19:57:58
> What's the difference between civility and propriety? I don't think of them as so different...
Civility (at least in theory) is based on the value of treating others well. It has to do with content, not style. Propriety is about adhering to a superficial standard of what's socially acceptable ("proper") or not, according to a dominant societal group at the expense of alternative values and viewpoints. The idea that four-letter words are offensive is not universally held. I'm not offended by them, for example, not are others I know. I believe they serve a purpose. Some people overuse them (not here) and that can be annoying but to me it's not offensive. Telling others they can't use these words strikes me as moral-majority-esque and perhaps fitting in a church or other conservative venue but not on a board addressing mental health issues. I also don't think use of that language by posters interferes with the board's purpose of support and education. If you use it to attack someone (calling another poster names) that's a different problem—that's uncivility, but it's the content—the intent behind it—not the style. You could do the same thing using acceptable language. -mist
poster:mist
thread:3683
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20020308/msgs/3695.html