Incivility:
The Rude Stranger in Everday Life
by Philip Smith, Timothy Phillips & Ryan King
HF5389.3 .U6 S65 2010
New Book Island, 2nd floor
I never know what I am going to find on the New Book Island, but I do try to choose something that relates to the happenings of the world. As I scanned the shelf today, this particular title popped out at me as the obvious winner for reasons that I’m sure you can guess, as long as you’ve had your eyes open in the last week.
Smith, Phillips and King, sociology professors at Yale, University of Tasmania and University of Albany, respectively, have taken issue with rude people. So much so that they done a little bit of research on the topic. Taking events that would be considered inconsiderate, the authors looked into how these encounters affect one’s emotions and whether one’s demographic characteristics factor into their judgment of the situation. Furthermore, they investigate ways in which individuals can properly react to such acts of impoliteness and promote civility towards one another. In other words, line jumpers and personal space crowders beware – you might just get put in your place.
