Civity’s work is research-based.
Civity’s approach synthesizes a wide range of research and insights from which our three touchstones have emerged:
➤ Relationships are foundational
➤ Connections across difference are powerful
➤ Individuals can transform communities
Three additional action insights also inform Civity’s work:
➤ Conversation + Connection = Action
➤ Stories + Action = Culture
➤ Difference + Belonging = Justice
Civity’s Theory of Change recognizes that real, lasting change is grounded in culture because law, which formalizes communities’ collective stories, emerges from culture. Culture and law together can invite people to work together for a thriving community for everyone.
These articles by Palma Joy Strand, Civity’s Co-Founder and Research Director, describe how culture grounds law and how culture and law ground community thriving.
➤ Law as Story: A Civic Concept of Law
As a complex social system, law emerges from and is grounded in culture – in collaborative communications among citizens.
➤ The Civic Underpinnings of Legal Change: Gay Rights, Abortion, and Gun Control
Citizens, civic relationships, and civic communication are essential to the creation of new, sustainable legal doctrine.
➤ The Civity-Dignity Rights Story: A Virtuous Cycle Driving Another Virtuous Cycle
Dignity rights (law) and civity (culture) share 3 touchstone values: (1) Everyone matters; (2) Everyone is their own subject; and (3) Relationality across difference is a community strength. Civity and dignity rights form a virtuous cycle in which culture embodying these touchstone values grounds law with the same values, and that law reinforces the culture. This virtuous “story” cycle drives a virtuous “thriving community” cycle of social connection, economic equality, and pluralistic democracy.