section c paragraphs Flashcards
PC quick eg (pns)
Pc reveal and reflect attitudes towards egal, inclu, appropriate sensitivity
Pc pwf vehicle redress hurt humility and offence
Desired pns - autonomy respected uphold neg fn
“A healthy expansion of moral concern” (Chomsky), PC language endeavours embrace social expectations of acceptance and humanitarian appropriateness while being respectful, accurate and relevant.
PC context eg (gratuitous specifications)
On Monash University’s Inclusive Language webpage, appropriate and inappropriate language is distinguished aligning with contemporary political correctness. The guide identifies gender neutral nouns and noun phrases which avoid gratuitous specifications such as “workforce”, “artificial” and “police officer” to be more suitable than their gender-specific counterparts “manpower”, “man-made” and “policeman”. Therefore, use of these nouns and noun-phrases enables language to abide by and reflect contemporary vies of antidiscrimination and inclusiveness. As a result, Monash University clarifies that language which may have once been acceptable is no longer politically correct; ultimately, “chipping away at the idea alienating people through language is acceptable in the first place” (Jane Uwujaren).
eup context eg (Vic Paramedics)
Likewise, euphemisms also pose as a method for individuals to avoid language which “threaten[s] to cause offense or distress” (Burridge). In the 2022 amendment to the Clinical Practice Guidelines for Ambulance Victoria, a document detailing the standard procedures in which Victorian Paramedics are to abide by, suffering “injuries incompatible with life” is a reason listed for withholding or ceasing resuscitation . Mitigating the graphic and triggering topic of grotesque wounds deemed impossible to survive, Ambulance Victoria’s considered usage of this euphemistic noun phrase shields those outside of the field from the harsh reality of the situation.
eup quick eg (death)
With the purpose of sanitising unpleasant, offensive, or socially sensitive concepts, euphemism is above linguistic politeness, posing to shield others from the harsh reality of a situation. In public contexts where the social distance is great and status is unequal, one may refer to the deceased with the euphemistic phrasal verb “passed away” rather than the verb “died” or the dysphemistic idiom “kicked the bucket”. “Passing away” carries significantly less confronting denotations than “dying”; thus, choosing the former of the options allows the speaker to navigate the taboo and delicate topic of death in a respectful, considered manner that avoids imposing on the other participant’s negative face needs.
jargon quick eg (bbal)
the jargon and slang of any domain signals the shared knowledge, expertise and sense of belonging that is created by the use of this sociolect. The specialised lexis associated with a discrete activity, profession or group, jargon facilitates efficient, effective, and economical communication; it supports the communicative needs of the group and contributes to group identity and solidarity. Within the domain of basketball, mutual understanding of the nouns “key”, “paint” and “downtown”, which carry very precise semantics not shared with those outside the domain, promotes effortless communication of different areas of the court. This jargon builds group identity, includes, and creates a strong sense of solidarity for insiders.
jargon context eg WBA
However jargon is equally capable of excluding and being perceived by outsiders as vacuously pretentious, pedantic and divorced from meaning. Williams Boag Architects, an architectural company, utilises the jargon of its professional domain to reflect its expertise, knowledge, and proficiency. In their mission statement located on their website, the dense noun phrases “fit for purpose design solutions”, “major project delivery capacity” and “passive and active design strategies” may appear “gibberish” (Pinker) to the outsider. For potential clients, though, WBA’s fluency with the language of architecture and the reflection of a professional identity would be reassuring and affirming. As Stephen Fry posits, “it’s not exclusivity; its precision”.
slang/dys quick eg aussie slange
Making its users seem more down to earth and friendly, for many Australians, the use of the Broad variety “increases your likeability” (Dr Evan Kidd). From the abundance of diphthongs such as /ei/ in the nouns “day” and “pay”, to the quintessentially “Aussie” salutation “g’day”, to colourful compounds like “shithead”, “dipshit” and “shitkick”, the “colloquial creativity” (Collins) of the Broad variety enables its users to project a more approachable, laidback identity, holding a significant place in the user’s idiolect.
slang/dysp (rock climbing)
The use of slang within the Rock Climbing industry is particularly reflective of the changing attitudes towards language use. Initially, proper noun phrases such as “Flogging a Dead F**t”, “One Less Bitch” and “Rape and Carnage” were considered amusing and entertaining amongst the niche group of “first ascensionists” who begun the sport of rock climbing . Indeed, slang for new climbing routes gave those within the first rock climber group a sense of pride and belonging from being “innovative” (Sue Butler) with route names. However, as rock climbing grew as a sport and became more mainstream to include a diverse background of participants, the sport has been a recipient of linguistic reckoning similar to the #Metoo and #BLM movement with Gear Junkie, an outdoor and active lifestyle news webstite, and members of the rock-climbing community deeming the language “vulgar and categorically offensive” (Gear Junkie, March 2023).
discrim quick eg (afl)
Unlike jargon and slang, discriminatory language, invariably based on erroneous assumptions of superiority, solely threatens face needs, marginalises, and reflect prejudicial attitudes of those who use it. With 60% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people having experienced at least one form of racial prejudice in the past 6 months (2022 Australian Reconciliation Barometer), racism persists and is undoubtedly prevalent in contemporary Australia. From Nicky Winmar being told to “go and sniff petrol” in 1993, to Adam Goodes being called an “ape” in 2013 to Jamarra Ugle Hagan being called a “c**n” in 2023, racist vilification of Indigenous football players by spectators has prevailed throughout the decades despite such abuse being decried each time with Ugle Hagan’s abuse being condemned as “regrettable, disgusting and abhorrent” (Gillon McLachlan).
discrim context eg (afl)
Not only breaching the negative face of both the person being attacked and those around them, the use of racist language in public domains, such as the AFL, reinforces a harmful “us vs them” dichotomy. Following Freemantle’s win against St Kilda on July 9th 2022, Michael Fredrick, who is of South Sudanese descent, shared with social media a sickening raft of slurs, stereotypes and racially-fuelled comments sent to him via Instagram direct messages. As part of a deranged tirade of abuse, one supposed AFL fan degraded the Dockers forward using highly dysphemistic and racist noun phrases “stupid black n*** slave piece of shit”, “black dog” and “cn”. Employing imperatives demanding Frederick to “scrub [his] feet” and “fetch [his] family some clean water”, the abuser’s language clearly serves to demean, belittle and ostracize as they “vent strong emotions” (Fromkin et all).
eup/doublespeak (sentinel events)
However, euphemisms, whether with good intentions or not, can take the form of Don Watson’s “weasel words”, void of any accountability or clarity. Following the publication of an August 2023 report detailing an increase in preventable deaths due to doctors ignoring parental health concerns, Health Minister, Mary-Anne Thomas, apologised to Victorian families for the sheer number of children who are injured or die under hospital care. In her apology, she navigated the taboo topic by employing euphemistic doublespeak, describing the unnecessary deaths and harm as “sentinel events”. Relying on the perceived ignorance of parents regarding medical matters, this considered and deliberate use of euphemistic doublespeak veils the true explanation to the children’s deaths, “an instrument of concealment rather than revelation” (Pinker) whereby Thomas mitigates the loaded topic of death both without appearing indifferent to the serious nature of the matter and without taking full accountability.
doublespeak context eg (dutton)
Naturally prevailing in contexts involving governments and powerful companies, doublespeak veils truths while projecting a sense of knowledge, control as well as positivity. Speaking in Parliament during the debate on the Voice to Parliament referendum bill in May 2023, opposition leader Peter Dutton warned the controversial “executive government” clause will allow the Voice to Parliament to essentially hold an excess amount of representation in court, claiming that the voice will “re-racialise our nation”. Semantically vague and confusing, the verb “re-racialise” allows Dutton to manipulate fellow Parliamentarians through ambiguity, fostering doubt about the necessity of having a Voice in Parliament. Given the divisive and controversial nature of the upcoming referendum bill, his use of jargonistic doublespeak could be considered diplomatic by some or “dishonest and dangerous” (Burnside and Watson) by others.
AbE (context eg)
The diversity of Australian Englishes is particularly revealed via the utilisation of Aboriginal Englishes which are embraced and honoured in these communities. Indeed, as writer, academic and Wiradjuri man Stan Grant suggests, the use of the variety that is characterised by distinct semantics associated with kinship nouns such as “auntie” and “uncle” fosters a sense of “comfort” supporting in-group membership and solidarity. For Megan Hoosan, the mother of 10-yr-old Arrernte Aboriginal boy Dujuan in the highly acclaimed documentary “In My Blood It Runs, the immense value the variety has within First Nations communities is demonstrated in her response to Dujuan’s question regarding which child she loves the most. In her jovial utterance “De whole tree of yous, eh?”, Megan adds the inflectional plural suffix to the second person pronoun “you” as well as softens the declarative with the discourse tag “eh?”. In these communities, it is the Standard that would attract negative attitutes, while the varieties of Aboriginal Englishes are a “powerful vehicle for the expression of Aboriginal identity” (Eades), embraced and valued above others.
formal quick eg
In more professional, authoritative and serious circumstances, formal language characteristically brings more clarity and precision to a discourse. Questioning the results of a referendum, a politician in the public domain may choose the more elevated adjective “erroneous” to challenge its validity while using the more colloquial “out of whack” or even dysphemistic adjective “bullshit” when discussing the outcome with friends.
standard quick eg (get your p’s)
Carrying overt prestige, Standard Australian English (SAE) is the “dominant dialect” (Australian Voices, Macquarie University) used and appreciated by the vast majority of its speakers and writers. “A benchmark” (Crystal), SAE is a desirable educational target praised by the likes of prescriptivists that facilitates mutual intelligibility and is employed in public domains as the norm by leading institutions such as governments, educational bodies, and quality media. For example, on the VicRoads webpage, “Get Your P’s”, Standard orthography and syntax employed in the imperative “check how to get your probationary licence including eligibility, preparing for and taking the Hazard Perception and Drive Test” ensures mutual intelligibility and guarantees that all prospective probationary licence holders understand the requirements to obtain their licence. Here, the standard is linguistic “best practice“ (Burridge), allowing widespread accessibility to the information on the VicRoads website.
