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Faculty Incivility: The Rise of the Academic Bully Culture and What to Do About It
This important book addresses the prevalence of faculty incivility, camouflaged aggression, and the rise of an academic bully culture in higher education. The authors show how to recognize a bully culture that may form as a result of institutional norms, organizational structure, academic culture, and systemic changes. Filled with real-life examples, the book offers research-based suggestions for dealing with this disruptive and negative behavior in the academic workplace.
- GenresNonfictionEducation
240 pages, Hardcover
First published February 4, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 12, 2023
Embarking on the journey of reading "Faculty Incivility: The Rise of the Academic Bully Culture and What to Do About It" by Darla J. Twale and Barbara M. De Luca was a decision I hesitated to make for years. The sensitive nature of the topic, coupled with the complexities inherent in higher education, left me uncertain about delving into the world of faculty incivility. However, I realized that avoiding this conversation would only perpetuate the problem. Published in 2008, the authors, both long-serving faculty members, provide an insightful exploration of the reasons behind the rise of the academic bully culture. Their expertise in higher education leadership adds weight to their analysis, making this book an essential read for those within the higher education industry.
As I delved into the chapters, it became apparent that the incivility plaguing our academic institutions has only grown in recent years. Twale and De Luca adeptly highlight the systemic issues and cultural dynamics that contribute to this disheartening trend. They emphasize the need to uncover the personal, social, cultural, organizational, and structural factors that have fostered the development of an academic bully culture. This culture extends beyond mere incivility; it encompasses bullying, mobbing, camouflaged aggression, and harassment within the academic workplace. The authors challenge our perceptions, reminding us that the interpretation of what is considered civil or uncivil lies in the perception of the receiver, not the sender.
One of the profound realizations from the latter chapters is the extent to which fear permeates the academic environment. Bullies create a culture of fear that hinders necessary change and innovation. Faculty members, both senior and junior, find themselves caught in a web of power imbalances and retaliatory acts. The tenure and promotion process becomes a breeding ground for incivility, as bullies infiltrate committees and exert their dominance. The insidious nature of incivility extends beyond departments and into the very fabric of academia. The authors shed light on the detrimental effects of these behaviors on faculty morale, turnover rates, and overall productivity. It is a wake-up call to acknowledge and address this deep-rooted problem.
In Part II of the book, Twale and De Luca dissect the causes of incivility, focusing on the organizational structures and cultural shifts within higher education institutions. They explore the clash between traditional academic values and the increasing influence of corporate culture. The commodification of education and the emphasis on market-driven priorities create tensions that erode collegiality and collaboration. It is here that I was reminded of my experience with Arbinger, Inc. and their Outward Mindset approach. Through a cultural assessment and subsequent trainings, including my facilitator training at Western Wyoming Community College (Western), I witnessed the transformative power of addressing underlying issues and fostering a mindset shift. Twale and De Luca's recommendations for comprehensive workplace harassment policies, faculty codes of conduct, and culture assessments align closely with the transformative work initiated by organizations like Arbinger, Inc. and supported by institutions such as Western. This alignment emphasizes the importance of proactive measures, open dialogue, and ongoing training to counteract the toxic elements of the academic bully culture.
Faculty Incivility serves as a poignant reminder that acknowledging the existence of a problem is the first step towards its resolution. To combat the academic bully culture, we must start the conversation within our institutions. This book offers valuable insights and calls for action. It is an invitation for faculty members, administrators, and policymakers to engage in critical discussions about incivility, its consequences, and strategies for creating a culture of respect and collaboration. By fostering awareness, promoting training, and implementing proactive measures, we can pave the way for a healthier academic environment that values diversity, empathy, and shared responsibility.
In conclusion, Faculty Incivility is an eye-opening exploration of the academic bully culture that has permeated higher education institutions. The authors' extensive research, combined with their personal experiences as faculty members, provides a comprehensive understanding of the challenges we face. It is a testament to their commitment to addressing a difficult and sensitive topic. As members of the higher education community, we have a collective responsibility to confront and eradicate faculty incivility. Let us heed the call to action presented in this book and strive towards creating a more inclusive, supportive, and respectful academic culture.
#SilentStruggles #FacultyIncivilityAwareness #AcademicBullying #HigherEdCulture #BreakingtheSilence #TransformingHigherEd #CreatingChange #AcademicWorkplace #CivilityMatters #TheClarkCommunique
"Bullying acts and mob behavior are inconsistent with the normative expectations of a civil society regardless of what an academic culture has come to define as normative." - Darla J. Twale and Barbara M. De Luca
As I delved into the chapters, it became apparent that the incivility plaguing our academic institutions has only grown in recent years. Twale and De Luca adeptly highlight the systemic issues and cultural dynamics that contribute to this disheartening trend. They emphasize the need to uncover the personal, social, cultural, organizational, and structural factors that have fostered the development of an academic bully culture. This culture extends beyond mere incivility; it encompasses bullying, mobbing, camouflaged aggression, and harassment within the academic workplace. The authors challenge our perceptions, reminding us that the interpretation of what is considered civil or uncivil lies in the perception of the receiver, not the sender.
One of the profound realizations from the latter chapters is the extent to which fear permeates the academic environment. Bullies create a culture of fear that hinders necessary change and innovation. Faculty members, both senior and junior, find themselves caught in a web of power imbalances and retaliatory acts. The tenure and promotion process becomes a breeding ground for incivility, as bullies infiltrate committees and exert their dominance. The insidious nature of incivility extends beyond departments and into the very fabric of academia. The authors shed light on the detrimental effects of these behaviors on faculty morale, turnover rates, and overall productivity. It is a wake-up call to acknowledge and address this deep-rooted problem.
In Part II of the book, Twale and De Luca dissect the causes of incivility, focusing on the organizational structures and cultural shifts within higher education institutions. They explore the clash between traditional academic values and the increasing influence of corporate culture. The commodification of education and the emphasis on market-driven priorities create tensions that erode collegiality and collaboration. It is here that I was reminded of my experience with Arbinger, Inc. and their Outward Mindset approach. Through a cultural assessment and subsequent trainings, including my facilitator training at Western Wyoming Community College (Western), I witnessed the transformative power of addressing underlying issues and fostering a mindset shift. Twale and De Luca's recommendations for comprehensive workplace harassment policies, faculty codes of conduct, and culture assessments align closely with the transformative work initiated by organizations like Arbinger, Inc. and supported by institutions such as Western. This alignment emphasizes the importance of proactive measures, open dialogue, and ongoing training to counteract the toxic elements of the academic bully culture.
Faculty Incivility serves as a poignant reminder that acknowledging the existence of a problem is the first step towards its resolution. To combat the academic bully culture, we must start the conversation within our institutions. This book offers valuable insights and calls for action. It is an invitation for faculty members, administrators, and policymakers to engage in critical discussions about incivility, its consequences, and strategies for creating a culture of respect and collaboration. By fostering awareness, promoting training, and implementing proactive measures, we can pave the way for a healthier academic environment that values diversity, empathy, and shared responsibility.
In conclusion, Faculty Incivility is an eye-opening exploration of the academic bully culture that has permeated higher education institutions. The authors' extensive research, combined with their personal experiences as faculty members, provides a comprehensive understanding of the challenges we face. It is a testament to their commitment to addressing a difficult and sensitive topic. As members of the higher education community, we have a collective responsibility to confront and eradicate faculty incivility. Let us heed the call to action presented in this book and strive towards creating a more inclusive, supportive, and respectful academic culture.
#SilentStruggles #FacultyIncivilityAwareness #AcademicBullying #HigherEdCulture #BreakingtheSilence #TransformingHigherEd #CreatingChange #AcademicWorkplace #CivilityMatters #TheClarkCommunique
"Bullying acts and mob behavior are inconsistent with the normative expectations of a civil society regardless of what an academic culture has come to define as normative." - Darla J. Twale and Barbara M. De Luca
November 21, 2023
Twale and DeLuca do an excellent job of exploring the issue of academic bullies and their historical insights into how those cultures arose over the last 50 years.
November 13, 2015
I really wanted to like this book. I'm on what starting to seem like a fruitless search for books that really get at the core issues of difficult people / bad behavior / bullying in academia. This one, like several others I've read, doesn't dissect the different types or sources of negative behavior. Instead, the authors explicitly state on the very first page that "incivility is in the eyes of the beholder" -- meaning that their definition of incivility (which they use interchangeably with "bullying") is any behavior that somebody doesn't like. This seems to me to reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of the dynamics that go on in academic environments. As a result, many of the stories that they quote from their focus group could equally easily be interpreted as being told by somebody who's a victim of genuine bullying, or somebody who is a narcissistic conflict nexus.
The bullies in academia always perceive themselves as unfairly treated, misunderstood, and marginalized. It's sometimes nearly impossible to tease apart the sources of bad behavior and understand who's "in the right" and who's "in the wrong" (and of course, it's almost never that clear-cut even when one knows exactly what's happened and is familiar with all of the players in the drama). It's even more challenging to work as a leader to untangle the threads of history and culture, treat the (perceived or real) bullies and the (perceived or real) victims fairly, and get everyone on board to collectively do what's best for the academic unit and the institution.
Unfortunately, this book can't get at any of those issues because it's defined them out of existence. Moreover, the "what to do about it" part of the title isn't successfully addressed -- most of the book is taken up with descriptions, stories, and analysis of various instances of incivility and bullying. There is very little discussion or even anecdotal stories about effective strategies for dealing with incivil behavior (either from the perspective of those who are being treated poorly, or from the perspective of a leader/administrator (who are mostly cast as villains in the book, with the implication that if the department chair or other administrator hasn't immediately fixed all problems, they are culpable).
The bullies in academia always perceive themselves as unfairly treated, misunderstood, and marginalized. It's sometimes nearly impossible to tease apart the sources of bad behavior and understand who's "in the right" and who's "in the wrong" (and of course, it's almost never that clear-cut even when one knows exactly what's happened and is familiar with all of the players in the drama). It's even more challenging to work as a leader to untangle the threads of history and culture, treat the (perceived or real) bullies and the (perceived or real) victims fairly, and get everyone on board to collectively do what's best for the academic unit and the institution.
Unfortunately, this book can't get at any of those issues because it's defined them out of existence. Moreover, the "what to do about it" part of the title isn't successfully addressed -- most of the book is taken up with descriptions, stories, and analysis of various instances of incivility and bullying. There is very little discussion or even anecdotal stories about effective strategies for dealing with incivil behavior (either from the perspective of those who are being treated poorly, or from the perspective of a leader/administrator (who are mostly cast as villains in the book, with the implication that if the department chair or other administrator hasn't immediately fixed all problems, they are culpable).
May 11, 2015
Disappointing. The book is a mishmash of theories and random personal interviews. The authors fail to define and distinguish incivility and bullying--so it's never really clear what the nature and scope of the problem is. Social Learning Theory, Goffman and others are tossed out as explanations of something--it's not clear what. The authors confuse sexual harassment and gender discrimination with bullying, but never bring in race or class. Every paragraph or two a personal story is tossed in, but it's not clear how the stories fit into the argument.
There are problems in academe--the tenure process discourages people from showing their colleagues who they really are during the probationary period; shortly after tenure, it is easy to become deadwood--or conversely make junior faculty work too much. Higher ed is changing which adds to tensions (as the authors note), but I don't think the authors pinpoint how this contributes to bullying.
Has some good points on gossiping and a few suggestions on assessing the climate on campus--otherwise not well executed.
There are problems in academe--the tenure process discourages people from showing their colleagues who they really are during the probationary period; shortly after tenure, it is easy to become deadwood--or conversely make junior faculty work too much. Higher ed is changing which adds to tensions (as the authors note), but I don't think the authors pinpoint how this contributes to bullying.
Has some good points on gossiping and a few suggestions on assessing the climate on campus--otherwise not well executed.
September 6, 2011
A colleague recommended this book to me. It has a lot of valuable insights into the way academia can encourage negative behavior that isolates faculty members, leading them to put their energies into their professional lives outside the department.
The organization could be better, though. The snippets of personal interviews feel dropped into the text. There is little to no analysis linking the chapters to these personal anecdotes. It was also difficult keeping track of the interview's overall narratives. Perhaps if these personal stories were condensed into case studies and analyzed in more depth they could have added more to the book's argument.
The organization could be better, though. The snippets of personal interviews feel dropped into the text. There is little to no analysis linking the chapters to these personal anecdotes. It was also difficult keeping track of the interview's overall narratives. Perhaps if these personal stories were condensed into case studies and analyzed in more depth they could have added more to the book's argument.
August 18, 2016
The author describes the various issues that often occurs and gives lots of examples, but no recommendations or strategies for how to cope, move forward, etc. Also, I agree with others who have commented that the way the examples are mixed in throughout chapters is very random and often completely unrelated to the topic the author is discussing within those pages.
February 3, 2016
Thought provoking, but not a lot of solutions.
April 21, 2017
Faculty Incivility: The Rise of the Academic Bully Culture and What to Do About It by Darla Twale and Barbara de Luca covers the rise of incivility amongst faculty in an academic setting. Primarily, Twale and de Luca begin with defining what constitutes incivility, bullying, and mobbing; fitting it into an existing framework for the factors that lead to this behavior; examples of how it plays out in an academic setting; and finally, what to do about it.
The book was insightful and clearly well-researched, though the bulk of the research presented was other peoples' works; the authors did interview and include some case studies that exemplify the behavior they were talking about, but there were not many included. The same names popped up again and again, indicating that it was a very small sample of people interviewed.
The book made a great case for how the unique nature of an academic environment creates tensions that lead to bullying, but even that was very focused - for instance, the tensions between faculty engaged in primarily research versus those engaged in teaching was highlighted, but that doesn't explain why the same culture crops up in community colleges, for instance, where research isn't a primary job duty or widely encouraged.
Twale and de Luca highlight the committee structure as a contributing cause to the rise of incivility: "Using a committee structure to inadvertently entwine others in the mob process without their realizing it signifies the presence of mob behavior. Mobbing through committee decisions camouflages and insulates the real bully or singular instigator (Davenport, Schwartz, & Elliott, 1999)" (Twale and de Luca, 2008, p. 23).
Another key point is the tenure process, which is often shrouded in secrecy, confidentiality, and unclear expectations, but again, this does not occur at community colleges, so why does that still exist?
The book is extremely narrow in its focus. It has a small sample size, looks at primarily universities, and faculty vs faculty bullying, with little to no mention of faculty vs staff bullying. It does include administrators vs faculty, but does not go into much depth. Depressingly, this is very much the state of the many books I've looked at - faculty vs faculty bullying is receiving more attention, but little is paid to faculty vs staff interactions, which are well-known to be rife grounds of stress, tension, and bullying behavior.
Additionally, there were several statements that seemed very generalized and poorly supported regarding women vs men - how they carry out bullying and how they respond to bullying; some of these assumptions were very gendered and came uncomfortably close to sexist assumptions.
As for what to do... most of it could only be done at an administrator level.
All in all, too narrow a focus for me. It had some interesting insights, but was too narrow to be useful to a broader audience.
The book was insightful and clearly well-researched, though the bulk of the research presented was other peoples' works; the authors did interview and include some case studies that exemplify the behavior they were talking about, but there were not many included. The same names popped up again and again, indicating that it was a very small sample of people interviewed.
The book made a great case for how the unique nature of an academic environment creates tensions that lead to bullying, but even that was very focused - for instance, the tensions between faculty engaged in primarily research versus those engaged in teaching was highlighted, but that doesn't explain why the same culture crops up in community colleges, for instance, where research isn't a primary job duty or widely encouraged.
Twale and de Luca highlight the committee structure as a contributing cause to the rise of incivility: "Using a committee structure to inadvertently entwine others in the mob process without their realizing it signifies the presence of mob behavior. Mobbing through committee decisions camouflages and insulates the real bully or singular instigator (Davenport, Schwartz, & Elliott, 1999)" (Twale and de Luca, 2008, p. 23).
Another key point is the tenure process, which is often shrouded in secrecy, confidentiality, and unclear expectations, but again, this does not occur at community colleges, so why does that still exist?
The book is extremely narrow in its focus. It has a small sample size, looks at primarily universities, and faculty vs faculty bullying, with little to no mention of faculty vs staff bullying. It does include administrators vs faculty, but does not go into much depth. Depressingly, this is very much the state of the many books I've looked at - faculty vs faculty bullying is receiving more attention, but little is paid to faculty vs staff interactions, which are well-known to be rife grounds of stress, tension, and bullying behavior.
Additionally, there were several statements that seemed very generalized and poorly supported regarding women vs men - how they carry out bullying and how they respond to bullying; some of these assumptions were very gendered and came uncomfortably close to sexist assumptions.
As for what to do... most of it could only be done at an administrator level.
All in all, too narrow a focus for me. It had some interesting insights, but was too narrow to be useful to a broader audience.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews