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Political correctness
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| Luck | Date: Monday, 01.11.2010, 11:08 | Message # 16 |
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Union organizer
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| I've never associated BLACKboard with people of different colour! This is just ridiculous! Someone just has great imagination. People, stop making problems and being insane.
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| lovefootball) | Date: Monday, 01.11.2010, 21:48 | Message # 17 |
 Dean
Group: Users
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| Maybe I'm wrong but I think all this nonsense derives drom someone's dissatisfaction,inferiority complex and wounded pride.
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| Nekavaen | Date: Wednesday, 03.11.2010, 22:54 | Message # 18 |
 Head teacher
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| Lovefootball, people who protest against the usage of political correctness name a lot of reasons for their remonstrance. The most important ones are:
1) PC divides people up into stereotypical boxes all the time and as a result it makes us more intolerant and race-, gender-, religion-conscious;
2) PC is often associated with good manners but it can't replace real and honest politeness and consideration;
3) PC limits the freedom of speech which is unhealthy and unacceptable in our time.
It is not human to be without shame and without desire. (Ursula K. Le Guin)
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| MissJane | Date: Thursday, 04.11.2010, 10:57 | Message # 19 |
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| Many of us come across situations when one has to be politically correct. For example, there are many workers from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in the place where I live. It's not a secret people call them "skibby" (=churka) and do not see anything awful in it because many think it is the right word for them. They live quite separately from other people, mix with Russians quite seldom and view their stay in Russia as a least-evil solution (they simply need money badly).
So to my mind being politically correct with these people does not solve the problem. Even if I call a person from Tajikistan "sir" ("gospodin", or something like that), it does not change Russian attitude towards them. Unfortunately.
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| Nekavaen | Date: Thursday, 11.11.2010, 01:48 | Message # 20 |
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Head teacher
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| I was very much surprised to read that PC terms should be used not only when referring to people who are alive and well but also when speaking about those who are "already in heaven".
People in English speaking countries tend to avoid the usage of the word "dead". It's better to say "the deceased" or "the late" instead of "a dead man". Well, it's OK.
But the replacements for the verb "to die" are rather strange, I think. For example:
"to join the majority";
"to join the better";
"to join the silent" and so on.
They are ideal for poems but it in everyday speach they may sound too pompous. Why not to use a simple word that has been used for expressing the idea of passing from one world to another for centuries?
It is not human to be without shame and without desire. (Ursula K. Le Guin)
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| Ayayulia | Date: Thursday, 11.11.2010, 23:12 | Message # 21 |
 Union organizer
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| I think that the replacement of the word “die” is made because we do not want to speak about unpleasant things, because we are afraid that these things may happen.
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| Luck | Date: Friday, 12.11.2010, 23:56 | Message # 22 |
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Union organizer
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| I would prefer to face the truth. I don't understand why we should veil some things so thoroughly. And I would not want other people to speak with me that "double-meaning" language. That can lead only to misunderstandings. You'll get nothing but them.
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| lovefootball) | Date: Saturday, 13.11.2010, 21:22 | Message # 23 |
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Dean
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| Why, the plain truth isn't always necessary. More than that, it sometimes sounds even rude and insulting. I think we should be more flexible and tactful. But of course, it doesn't mean we are to speak veiledly all the time.
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| Nekavaen | Date: Monday, 15.11.2010, 23:36 | Message # 24 |
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Head teacher
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| Yes, sometimes truth may sound rude and it's better to moderate our speech a little bit. But I don't think it's useful and necessary when speaking about death. I see nothing offensive and impolite in the verb "to die". It's usual, it's natural... It's the same as if we tried to invent polite synonyms for the words "to be born","to sleep", "to eat". Do we really need it?
It is not human to be without shame and without desire. (Ursula K. Le Guin)
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| lovefootball) | Date: Tuesday, 16.11.2010, 17:00 | Message # 25 |
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Dean
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| Well, if they have been created, there is some reason for it. I'm not quite sure... Maybe they're a mere formality. The borderland between politeness and absurdity is sometimes scarcely distinguishable. Anyway, one's manners and words should fit the case.
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| Former-Teacher | Date: Thursday, 18.11.2010, 13:38 | Message # 26 |
 Dean
Group: Admins
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| I have learnt a lot from the discussion and seem to have similar opinions on most of the points. One thing which is definite to me is PC must exit and influence our language choices - syntax, vocabulary, symbols, etc. If we start to think about our communicative needs, we understand that a lot of our speaking culture has been shaped by the need to divert the bad from the ears of the one you care for. PC is also part of office language, gender relations, employment decisions. The real thing is that they don't want to 'fire' us, they just don't have suitable economic or financial conditions or reasons to hold you on, so they just 'give you a new employment opportunity'. Besides the communicative trick, it's really (quite often in the western economic culture) a way of saying 'sorry but i have no need to continue your employment'. The bad fact is that PC doesn't go further into government offices to create new jobs or employment environments.
About the dead. My father died, his or her father died.... but when I talk face to face to the one whose parent has died, I often slide to 'passed away' or 'finished his/her lot'. The same will be the choice when speaking to those who are at the commemoration event.
We also use a lot of PC and euphemisms when we talk about love relations and physical attraction to the opposite sex...(i have used a euphemistic phrase...)
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| MissJane | Date: Friday, 26.11.2010, 10:45 | Message # 27 |
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Union organizer
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| Quote (Nekavaen) I see nothing offensive and impolite in the verb "to die" And there is nothing of that kind in it indeed. I'm sure you all know that the thing is that the word "die" (and the notion it reflects) has become a taboo since the cavemen started to at least understand what it means (to die, I mean). All the religious cults ever existed and to arouse in the future are based on the fear of death. Probably, this is the only concept which doesn't fall for understanding and explaining. This all comes from fear and mystery.
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| lovefootball) | Date: Friday, 26.11.2010, 18:51 | Message # 28 |
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Dean
Group: Users
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| Agree, and this fear makes us delude ourselves. We pretend that we stay away from these "strange" and "offensive" notions and that they will never touch us. That's not only childish and naive, but also dangerous as some of us don't want to see an inch beyond our nose. Who knows what can come out of these illusions..?
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| Megastarosta | Date: Friday, 17.12.2010, 11:58 | Message # 29 |
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| Political correctness should be not only with your colleagues but also with your nearest and dearest. There are situations when you cant offend a person who is important for you. And it doesnt mean changing words, it means a style of behavior and patience. A week ago a little daughter of my good friend make a very "delicious" salad of parsley and fennel and fruit yoghurt. The salad was absolutely disgusting but we ate it all because we didnt want to upset that little girl who cooked it with all her love to us. That is political correctness.
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| MissJane | Date: Wednesday, 08.06.2011, 23:37 | Message # 30 |
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Union organizer
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| Yes, as a broader notion political correctness is about 'avoiding being offensive' but at the same time, it is not by chance that it is called political correctness - it is somewhat connected with policy, with ways of treating groups of people rather than particular individuals.
The difference in the case above and the usual cases of political correctness is the way political correctness is taken by the person. The little girl was not aware that you made an effort so as not to offend her feelings; but a disabled person clearly understands that it's all a white lie when people call him/her a severely challenged person. The essence remains the same - he/she won't get the sight or a leg if you keep calling him/her sweet names.
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