1st Ever Study on Civility in Mauritius Reveals Alarming Trends

A first-of-its-kind study conducted by strategy and communication firm CEREBRÕ has unveiled an alarming trend: a staggering 8 out 10 of respondents have observed a marked decrease in civility in Mauritius.

Conducted online with 843 participants over a two-week period, the survey, “Perceptions on
Civility and Courtesy in Mauritius,” offers a detailed overview of Mauritians’ perceptions and
experiences in various aspects of their daily lives.

According to Javed Bolah, Executive Director of CEREBRÕ, the findings underscore a strong need for action to reverse this trend.

“The results of this survey constitute a wake-up call and highlight the urgency of concerted
action to strengthen courtesy, respect, and civility in Mauritius,” he said.

Increasing Rude Behaviour and Insults:

The survey reveals a widespread feeling that civility and courtesy are declining in Mauritius.
A significant majority of participants (79%) have noticed an increase in rude language or
impolite behaviour in recent years.

Social Life and Public Spaces: A Fragile Balance

While a majority (65%) observe courtesy in social gatherings (“Sometimes”: 36%, “Often”:
29%), nearly half (46%) have felt “Sometimes” disrespected in public spaces. Despite this,
acts of courtesy and kindness between strangers are observed “Sometimes” (43%) or
“Often” (25%). One third (33%) believe that people are willing to offer help to strangers in
need.

Workplace: A Mixed Picture

The workplace presents a more nuanced image. A majority (68.6%) find their colleagues
“Very polite” or “Rather polite,” but a significant proportion (9.3% “A little impolite” and 4.7%
“Very impolite”) express reservations. Disrespectful behavior or offensive language is
observed “Sometimes” (42.4%), “Often” (24.7%), and “Very Often” (9.4%).
Disagreements are handled respectfully “Very Often” (14.1%), “Often” (14.1%), or
“Sometimes” (47.1%). However, a positive trend in workplace civility over recent years is far
from unanimously felt, with 44.7% “Neutral” and 37.6% “Disagree.” Courtesy between
employees is observed by 48% of respondents. Conversely, a lack of respect from a
superior is felt by 51.6%.

Youth and Education: A Worrying Decline

The survey reveals a majority perception that younger generations are less polite than their
elders. 73% of respondents believe the civility of the new generation is “worse” or
“significantly worse” than that of their elders. A majority of participants witnessed bullying,
harassment, or disrespect among students “a few days ago” (33.3%) or “a few weeks ago”
(29.8%).

Teachers’ effectiveness as role models for respectful behavior is rated as “Neutral” (41%),
“Disagree” (18.1%), or even “Strongly Disagree” (12%). The efforts of schools to effectively
teach civility are considered insufficient by 54.1%. The comparison with the previous
generation is particularly striking, with 82.3% judging the level of civility as “worse” or
“significantly worse.”

Respect for authority figures is also highlighted, with only 6% believing that young people
are “often” respectful of authority, while 42% consider them “very rarely” or “never”
respectful.

Public Services: A Subject of Concern

The level of politeness and courtesy among public service employees (police, ministries,
hospitals) is a subject of concern. Nearly half of respondents, 54.6%, rate this level as “poor”
or “very poor.”

Religious Discussions: A Minefield

Online religious discussions are a sensitive topic. Although 67.4% report engaging “Always”
or “Often” respectfully, the level of courtesy towards different faiths is judged as “Moderate”
(41.7%), “Low” (26.2%), or “Very Low” (17.9%). One in two respondents (51%) believe
religious groups are not doing enough to promote civility. Conflicts related to disrespectful
language during religious conversations, online or offline, are observed “Often” (39.3%) or
“Very Often” (26.2%).

Politics: Poor Role Models

Political debates are perceived as increasingly hostile, an observation shared by 88% of
respondents. A large majority has observed a “Significant Increase” (45.3%) or “Some
Increase” (43%) in hostile language during political debates. Political leaders are judged as
not effectively modeling respectful behavior by 62.3% of respondents. Political discussions
are perceived as having become “Significantly less civil” (31.4%) or “Less civil” (52.3%) in
recent years.

Online and Social Media: A Hub of Incivility

The virtual world is widely perceived as a major hub of incivility. The level of courtesy in
online discussions is rated as “Poor” (36%) or “Very Poor” (25.6%). Anonymity and fake
profiles are considered by 7 out of 10 respondents as aggravating factors.
The significant increase in disrespectful comments on social media is also strongly felt, with
95.4% of respondents having observed it. The impact of online communication on real-life
interactions is perceived as mostly negative (80.2%).

On Our Roads: Frequent “Road Rage”

Courtesy while driving is rated as “low” or “very low” by 57% of participants, while only 5.9%
believe drivers are courteous. Incidents of “road rage” are frequent, with a majority having
witnessed them “a few days ago” (43%) or “a few weeks ago” (21%). Lack of respect for
personal space in public transport is also reported by 57.6% of travellers.

Attitude Towards Tourists: The Achilles’ Heel

Respectful interactions between locals and tourists are considered very important for a
better tourism experience (90.6%). However, the level of civility shown by locals towards
tourists is rated as “Average” (50.6%) by the majority, but also “Low” (16.5%) or “Very Low”
(4.7%).

Identification of Contributing Factors

When asked what contributed most to the erosion of courtesy and respectful interactions,
participants pointed to: poor civility education at home (40%), individualism/narcissism
(18.8%), inability to manage emotions (14.1%), and political/religious extremism (12.9%).

Desire for Improvement and Moderate Optimism

Despite the concerning findings, the survey reveals a strong desire for improvement and
potential commitment to actions promoting civility. An overwhelming majority of participants
(93%) believe there should be more public campaigns promoting civility. 67% say they would
participate in a workshop focused on civility and politeness if available, even though the
importance of civility for future generations is considered “Extremely important” (82.4%) or
“Very important” (14.1%).
However, optimism about the future of civility and courtesy in society is moderate, even
pessimistic, with 42.4% “Pessimistic” and 14.1% “Very pessimistic,” compared to only 4.7%
“Very optimistic” and 16.5% “Optimistic.”

Other Notable Results:

According to Javed Bolah, the results of this survey paint a nuanced but overall concerning picture of the state of civility in Mauritius.

“While acts of courtesy still exist, the dominant feeling is one of erosion, particularly noticeable in our interactions with others. The call to action is clear: As an economy based on hospitality and services, Mauritius must recognize the crucial importance of civility for the well-being of society and be ready to engage in initiatives to improve it,” he said.

Source: Defi Media