Give incivility a chance

While it is nice to be nice, we should be careful in dismissing incivility entirely as is argued by McCullough, et. al. (2023). In this article we will argue that incivility, when conceptualised politically as a form of resistance has democratic value. That is, some types of incivility are not only justified, they can serve important ends, especially for oppressed groups. Several historical examples as they relate to health and healthcare speak to this point. The uncivil behaviour by Emma Goldman, imprisoned after publicly promoting birth control, to those challenging racism in healthcare are two of many examples that highlight the instrumental and symbolic value of incivility, in both forcing political change and saying something that could not otherwise be said ‘civilly’.