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Politically correct (view source)
Revision as of 18:39, September 15, 2007
, 18:39, September 15, 2007no edit summary
'''Politically correct language''', or ''political correctness'', consists of linguistic restrictions imposed by authorities or pressure groups, particularly by [[liberals]]. The modern politically correct movement began at the [[University of Wisconsin-Madison]], one of the most [[liberal]] institutions in the [[United States]]. George Orwell's ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' famously incorporated the notion of limiting thought through language (see [[Newspeak]]).
'''Politically correct language''', or ''political correctness'', consists of linguistic restrictions imposed by authorities or pressure groups, particularly by [[liberals]]. The modern politically correct movement began at the [[University of Wisconsin-Madison]], one of the most [[liberal]] institutions in the [[United States]]. George Orwell's ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' famously incorporated the notion of limiting thought through language (see [[Newspeak]]).
Political correctness (often abbreviated to "polcor" or "PC") is the use of language or behaviour said to be intended to provide a minimum of offence, particularly to racial, gender, cultural, or other identity groups. A text that conforms to the ideas of political correctness is said to be 'politically correct'. Its proponents are often derisively described as the "PC Brigade".
Political correctness re-emerged on U.S. university campuses during the 1980s and 1990s, and is essentially a politically-motivated programme of attempted language manipulation. It is strongly associated with feminism, post-modernism and the academic left. The term 'PC' is often used to refer to any practice or decision which has been noticably influenced by, or which seeks to promote, a post-modernist, leftist or feminist agenda. However, prescriptive language reform remains one of its key components.
The language reforms demanded by polcor advocates are superficially reminiscent of historical - largely conservative and middle-class - attempts to insist upon good manners and polite speech in order to avoid giving offence. However, the language reforms demanded by the PC movement go far beyond mere politeness.
The theory advocated by polcorists, therefore, is to transform political and social reality by transforming language; if one wants to abolish 'racism', all one needs to do is to abolish 'racist' words or language, and everything else will follow, because people will literally no longer be able to frame racist ideas.
What counts as 'politically correct' language changes arbitrarily over time according to the whims of government and awry intellectuals.
[[Liberal]]s impose [[political correctness]] to prevent recognition of differences between men and women, religions, belief systems, and nationalities. In the 1960s, [[feminists]] began to demand that the neutral pronouns ''he'', ''him'' and ''his'' be replaced with expressions like "he or she", "him or her", "them", etc. This was part of their campaign to redefine the social roles traditionally associated with masculinity and femininity.
[[Liberal]]s impose [[political correctness]] to prevent recognition of differences between men and women, religions, belief systems, and nationalities. In the 1960s, [[feminists]] began to demand that the neutral pronouns ''he'', ''him'' and ''his'' be replaced with expressions like "he or she", "him or her", "them", etc. This was part of their campaign to redefine the social roles traditionally associated with masculinity and femininity.