Michael Diniscia and Ellyn M Toscano eds. "Civility Unbound: Contesting a Democratic Value" (NYU Press, 2026)

The idea of civility goes back to classical Rome and the ways in

which citizens engaged one another within the republic. The term itself

is often used in a number of different ways, reflecting expected

behavior, particularly in public spaces, and as a mechanism to manage

human interaction. But civility and the use of this idea often shape

hierarchical relationships within society and within politics and may

define who is to be included within the polis and who may be excluded.

Thus, the conversations that led to the new book, Civility Unbound: Contesting a Democratic Value,

interrogated the idea of civility in many of its facets and did not

necessarily settle on a simple definition or means of implementing

civility within contemporary society. Michael DiNiscia, Director of

Research and Strategic Initiatives at New York University’s Brademas