Sigal Ben-Porath is a Professor of Education at the University of Pennsylvania, and holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Political Science and in the Department of Philosophy. Her research focuses on citizenship education, educational and social policy, and the social and educational effects of war. In her latest book, she examines how colleges and universities increasingly find themselves on the front lines of cultural and political battles over free speech. Safe spaces, trigger warnings, hate speech – broaching these topics can cause prompt strong reactions on college campuses. Free speech is an increasingly contentious topic at colleges and universities across the country. Ben-Porath offers a useful framework for thinking about free-speech controversies both inside and outside the classroom, shifting the focus away from disputes about legality and harm and toward democracy and inclusion. She provides strategies to de-escalate tensions and negotiate highly charged debates. The title of her presentation is “Free Speech on Campus.”
Convocation: Sigal Ben-Porath
University of Pennsylvania professor Sigal Ben-Porath offers a useful framework for thinking about free-speech controversies.