The British Sociological Association urges its members to be careful while using terms that may be offensive to some people. It has, in a stellar act of well-meaning guidance, come up with lists of words it feels are not politically correct, and has suggested politically correct alternatives. Now, while I still maintain that Political Correctness has, in my view, come close to being preposterous (as when a local council in the UK banned the term ‘brainstorming’), it must be said that the BSA lists, in part, made sense. However, there was still a lot that was, to my (by implication, ignorant, insensitive and ‘incorrect’) mind, ridiculous. Bizarre, even.
For instance, when it comes to art, they recommend not using the term ‘Old Masters’ – instead they suggest using ‘classic art/artists’. OK, I get it. This term is masculine, exclusivist and exclusionist. But surely it is the most appropriate and acceptable, as well as accurate, term when I talk about Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, Rubens or Rembrandt. Weren’t they, from today’s standpoint, ‘old masters’? Of course, when I want to include Anguissola, Oosterwyck, Charriera or Fontana (the ‘vintage queens of art’???) in that list, I will use the collective term ‘classic artists’ – but that does not mean that the term ‘old masters’ does not have a place.
Then there are ‘disseminate’ and ‘seminal’. Frowned upon, for obvious reasons. I suppose they forgot to include ‘seed’, which also has similar connotations – perhaps we should use ‘botanic-life-enabling organic-source-matter’ instead!
They also feel the words ‘civilised’ and ‘civilisation’ have racist overtones derived from colonial perceptions. Well, not always. Perhaps implicit in their understanding of the word civilisation is a very urban-centric, renaissance/industrial revolution derived association – but surely the most prevalent usage of this word is in the broader sense, as in ‘Indian civilisation’, ‘Mayan civilisation’, ‘Egyptian civilisation’ or ‘Chinese civilisation’? All of which predate the renaissance and are far removed from any colonial – as we know it – overtones.
What about ‘Developing nations/Less developed countries’? Well, yes, this again implies a hierarchy, with these countries at the bottom – but frankly, will any alternative really do away with the hierarchy inherent in any meaningful comparison? In economic studies, ‘development’ is an index that is actively tracked, with many parameters – among them literacy, mortality, nutrition – going into the making of this index. There will be countries that will score low on the development index. What do we call them? If we accept the BSA’s logic, then, by extension, terms like ‘champions’ (in any sporting tournament) or ‘winners’ should also be banned – because they, by definition, imply the existence of teams/people that did not win (losers!). And let’s not even get into the concept of ranking in sport. Or, even worse, something that will make them cringe in horror – seeding in ball game tournaments. How politically incorrect is that?
Other questionable inclusions: diaspora, overseas, third world, special needs (recommended: additional needs), patient (WTF? Recommended: person. I repeat, WTF? Is there no need for a term for a person who needs medical care and who is in a health-care facility? Whose body – gender-neutral, without any sexual overtones! – might be host (nah, host is a xenophobic term! Let’s use ‘dwelling place’ instead) to some life-forms inimical to universally accepted non-sexist, non-racist standards of human health?) Oh, and the good sociologists also discourage usage of (medical/health related) terms like ‘victim of’, ‘suffering from’ and ‘afflicted by’. Remember to also replace ‘mentally ill’ with ‘mental health service user’. And I suppose the term ‘ill’ can be moved in favour of ‘health service user’.
Where does this end?
I agree – words are powerful. I agree, many terms have unpleasant historical connotations and some sensitivity is needed. But we should also be careful of reducing political correctness to a farce. Regrettably, the exponents of political correctness do not seem to realise how their enthusiasm is doing their cause more harm than good.
September 22, 2008 at 6:41 pm
Yeah, I read the story, too, here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/debates/2988760/The-phrase-Old-Masters-is-sexist-authors-and-students-are-told.html
The anti-PC brigade will, no doubt, get out their knives and much mirth can be expected on blogs. I see you have already taken first crack at it 🙂
The whole thing reeks of censorship. There are words I don’t use either. Seminal, for instance. But the point is, who’s making this list? And for whom? What is offensive to a troupe of professors and researchers and what is to people of ethnic or minority groups are not necessarily identical.
So now I call myself “non-disabled’? Hello … I am offended!!
September 22, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Well, I reaad it also.. And I’m also offended by the whole thing.. Who is going to tell me what or how I use my vocabulary.. It’s just another way of taking away OUR right’s.. GREAT SUBJECT!! til l8er
September 22, 2008 at 9:27 pm
I actually think that putting thought into ‘politically correct’ things would be great. Definitely overdoing it leads to getting bugged and I do understand the joke of it.
But having been in certain situations I feel if people could pay attention to these political correctnesses, it could avoid a lot of pain for many people.
And these people who would be affected by some words can be grossly labelled as over sensitive or touchy but the fact is that in today’s world incidents can easily happen which scar people in a bad way, and it is not really too much to put in a bit of effort to not hurt these people who often don’t look like they have gone through anything big!
Reading this article made me feel great that there are some people ‘researchers, scholars’ whoever who actually have put in a thought towards these people.
September 22, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Gradually, over time, we will need replacements for these now politically correct terms, since by that time they would be considered offensive due to their then regular usage & their respective associations and so on…
September 23, 2008 at 4:14 am
[…] September 22, 2008 by Abhishek … says Quirky Indian. […]
September 23, 2008 at 6:08 am
‘Vintage Queen’ of art still sounds linguistically subordinate to ‘Old Masters’.
Cheerio! 🙂
September 23, 2008 at 8:16 am
Hahahahahhaa
they are a bunch on mental health service users!
September 23, 2008 at 11:20 am
Then there are ‘disseminate’ and ‘seminal’. Frowned upon, for obvious reasons. I suppose they forgot to include ‘seed’, which also has similar connotations – perhaps we should use ‘botanic-life-enabling organic-source-matter’ instead!
LOL LOL LOL
September 23, 2008 at 11:41 am
Ah, these rules are made by ‘persons’ who have been given a ‘shot’ where the sun don’t shine… Let’s ignore them and continue calling jerks as jerks and assholes as assholes… 😀
September 23, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Sad situation.
As far as I am concerned, political correctness(or the use of it), despite its universal aspirations,is a purely personal choice. It indicates an openness to issues that sometimes are beyond one’s immediate sphere of experience or are so deeply ingrained that they require some amount of attention to be noticed. At any rate, the ‘banning’ of certain terms is the worst way to cultivate any kind of political sensitivity!
Of course this assumes the intention is to cultivate sensitivity. Somehow I doubt it 🙂
September 23, 2008 at 4:11 pm
i think its all just silly!
am sure one day we will be too sick of being forced to be politically correct and become incorrect with a venegance! while differently abled makes sense callinmg a short guy vertically challenged or some such is juts stupid!
have you read Politically Correct bedtime stories? absolutely hilarious!! 🙂
great post!
cheers!
abha
September 23, 2008 at 5:40 pm
@ QI
UK schools have already stopped awarding winners trophies, so do keep up 🙂 They are miles ahead, or should it be down the slope…
I agree that the British society is now cowering in the face of the minorities’ right to be hurt by anything and everything, and mostly nothing.
Some may have slipped down a slippery slope and I am happy not to follow them.
But I am also happy that we do not refer to black people are ‘negros’ any more (except Indian tourists standing in Trafalgar Square, always Trafalgar Square, I don’t know why); or Chinese people as ‘Chinkies’ or Indians and Pakistanis as ‘Pakis’.
Equally I would be happy if black or brown people stopped calling poor white people ‘white trash’ and if black men stopped referring to their women as ‘hos’.
Never mind the craziness of government institutions, as humans, we could still learn a lot more.
September 24, 2008 at 1:41 pm
I am a “immigrant” from “developing nation” and after a lot of “brainstorm” and “black” coffee, I have decided the List is bullocks 😀
September 24, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Eggactly Chirax ..!!
This is Utter Stupidity!
September 24, 2008 at 4:54 pm
@SmokeScreen – Unfortunately for such ’causes’, there exist, in great numbers, well-meaning but somewhat mentally-challenged humans – as in the BSA – who end up razing to the ground the very edifice they were supposed to protect. Vote to be doing? 🙂
@Wavemaker2 – it’s beyond ridiculous, that list!
@Priyanka – it’s nice to be sensitive, but as this list demonstrates, there is no stopping the well-meaning proselytiser who wants to plumb the depths of absurdity! At this rate, half the words in existence will be banned. As I asked in the post, where does one draw the line?
@Anshul – very well said, Anshul. That is exactly what is going to happen…..why can’t these people see that?
@LM – Not sure if that’s entirely correct – Queen beats Master, I would think. But that’s a point of view and therefore subjective. What I want to point out, however, is this – even “Classic Artist”, by that same PC yardstick, has a problem. Why should only painters and some sculptors (but primarily painters) who lived in a certain period in certain countries be called “classic artists’? Doesn’t this discriminate against architects, musicians, bards, playwrights, poets, writers, actors – even court jesters and other ‘artists’ who might have lived (1) before, during and after the time these people lived and/or (2) in the same country or in countries other than the ones these people lived in? See where this is heading? PC taken too far is a disease! 😉
September 24, 2008 at 5:09 pm
@Che – you’re right dude…only they don’t seem to be getting cured! 🙂
@Phoenixritu – 🙂
@Nikhil – I shall also defend our right to call jerks assholes and vice-versa! 😉
@Prasanth – I would think the BSA’s intentions were good – they meant to inculcate sensitivity. Of course, lists like these backfire…and then people’s reactions to stuff like this can be just the opposite of what was desired.
@Abha – I know, people will react by being more ‘incorrect’. And yes, I bought that little gem many years ago….was hilarious. Now, I suppose, it has become the ‘approved’ standard for bedtime stories. 🙂
@Shefaly – I did not know that UK schools have stopped awarding trophies to winners. That is so stupid. And what next? No competitive sport? No competition? No contests? I fear for that country. Are these the children who will be the citizens of UK tomorrow? Satyanash!
@Chirax – welcome to my blog and thanks for the comment. Well said, mate….. 🙂
@Mystiquedew – Ekjhackly! 🙂
September 24, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Crazy world !. . .A list of politically incorrect words! Poppycock (is this in the banned list?) , They really need to get a life(i bet this is banned). . .Damn ! I could never say a political correct sentence EVER…boo hooo!!!
September 25, 2008 at 12:22 am
Hi QI –
Coming late into this discussion, I suppose it’s worth emphasising that political correctness shouldn’t be an exercise of practice and form. Rather, it must be a thought-driven process of considering those around us and their backgrounds (social, economic, racial, religious, cultural, educational, etc.).
Political correctness must entail working through those considerations to ensure that we pay attention and show sensitivity to those differences and backgrounds. It is when political correctness steps too far away from the active mental processes of consideration of our surroundings that it descends into farce.
September 25, 2008 at 12:37 am
Sheesh…
September 25, 2008 at 12:25 pm
@ QI
See any similarities between Liam’s and my comments? 🙂
September 25, 2008 at 3:17 pm
@Priya – ‘Poppycock’ should be offensive to opium-growers and roosters everywhere…..history hasn’t been kind to them and now here you are, making fun of them, combining them into one term and essentially calling them crap! Show some sensitivity, will you? 😉
@Liam:I agree with you – to an extent. It has to be a personal choice. What, unfortunately, the supporters of PC might not realise is this: (1) this list is just a sample of the trash that PC will come up with if it keeps going down this slope…and a lot of people, as a reaction, might choose to flirt with insensitivity. (2) In the ‘right to free speech’ versus ‘right not be offended’ issue, I am firmly and completely in the free speech camp. Because once you let the censors in, and allow them to decide for you what’s right and wrong, acceptable and unacceptable, they’ll soon be running your lives for you. Keeping this in mind, if some (subjectively) offensive speech seems to be the price of freedom, so be it. And how many people use any of these terms with intention to offend? Please note that while I do not condone personal attacks and rudeness, this list was not in reaction to either. It just was!
@Vaibhav – Sheesh is right! The madness continues….
@Shefaly – Indeed I did. And you might want to see my reply. Cheers. 🙂
September 25, 2008 at 5:24 pm
@ QI –
I agree that free speech must be respected. No argument there. Lack of such is a dangerous big step down a road that ends only in trouble, to put it mildly.
The purpose of PC should be to raise (or express) awareness of and sensitivity to differences and hardships that humanity possesses and faces respectively. I see PC not so much as a way to avoid offending, but as a way to express understanding.
Some of the more ridiculous examples you have rightly listed seem more focussed on avoiding offence than on expressing understanding, so I agree with you there.
@ Shefaly – You were much more eloquent than I. Thanks for saying in a more succinct fashion what I meant.
September 26, 2008 at 4:11 pm
While the British might be overdoing it, I seriously feel that we are underdoing it.
Political correctness in India is abysmally low.
September 26, 2008 at 7:04 pm
What happens to words like “Axis of Terror” or “States of Concern” or other such things which keep popping out of various dignitaries? In the Indian context, I have a whole list of words that should be changed or banned immediately.
Number 1 – “Mumbai” should be changed to “City on west coast of Maharashtra owned by Marathi speaking people and inhabited by other ethnic communities for economic purposes”;
Number 2 – “Tolerance” should be changed to “archaic quality of accomodation practiced by now extinct race of civilised Indians”;
Number 3 – “October 2” – “Dry Day”
The list goes on
September 28, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Hmph. So how many generations of euphemisms do we have to come up with? Soon enough, the new politically correct words will acquire the SAME connotations as the words they’re substituting, because well… those who use those words will mean the same thing. You can’t change intention by naming things differently, it’s a damned ostrich act!
In short, I totally agree with you.
September 29, 2008 at 9:49 am
@Liam – You were very articulate in expressing your point of view. Mine was simply this: once you open the door to such alleged sensitivity, there’s no stopping anything from getting in…..the degeneration into farce is thus a foregone conclusion.
@Hades – In fact, given our tendency to be hyper-sensitive about most matters, if we go down a similar road, 50% of everything will be ‘banned’. I, for one, am glad that is not so.
@Annayad – good ones. The list of banned words will be longer than the list of unacceptable ones.
@Suki – precisely! So in another couple of years we’ll end up with a new list. This is evident from this very list – notice that ‘mental health service user’ is the new term for the older PC term, ‘mentally ill’.
January 19, 2010 at 5:32 pm
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