Verbal hygiene and pc Flashcards
(31 cards)
What is the purpose of verbal hygiene? - Cameron’s view
Cameron says that as well as the desire to regulate language, verbal hygiene hides a range of deeper social and political anxieities
What 2 questions does Cameron raise?
- Who prescribes for whom
- What they prescribe
What issues does verbal hygiene raise?
- Authority
- Identity
- Agency
What is deliberate agency?
Refers to a speaker’s concious and intentional use of language and being aware of the emotional impact language choices might have against particular individuals
What does Cameron believe about why people panic about language change?
They panic about language change as a metaphor of their worries about social values crumbling
Is deliberate agency a big or small percentage of the reasons for language change?
It is a small percentage of the reasons for change meaning we can’t ignore it
How does language change and ideology link?
Often, when an element of language is changed purposefully it has significant ideological motivation
What is an example of ideological changes in language?
Acknowledging gender marked terms and pushing for neutral alternatives eg. Sam Smither “they/their”
Who came up with the idea of the Euphemism Treadmill?
Steven Pinker
What is the Euphemism Treadmill?
The idea that words which have previously been intended to be politically correct have taken on more negative connotations
What is a result of original words taking on negative connotations?
New terms have to be invented in order to be less offensive
What is an example of the Euphemism treadmill?
“mentally retarded” - by NHS
The word was used as a replacement for “idiot” “moron”
Who studied the muted group?
Ardener and ardener
What is the muted group theory about?
Power and how it is used against people (here women)
What does the muted group theory suggest about language?
Language is culture bound
Why is language seen as culture bound in the muted group theory?
Men have more influence over language compared to women because men have more power
If men have more influence over language, what will this result in?
Language with a male-bias
Is it Men or Women who are the muted group?
Women
How are women the muted group?
Because men create words for the culture allowing them to express their ideas but women are left out of this creation without being able to express their ideas - leaving them as the muted group
What three assumptions does the muted group theory rest on?
- Men and women perceive the world differently
- Men enact their power politically
- Women must convert their ideas into male language to be heard
What is political correctness?
A term that refers to language that avoids offending persons of various genders, races, cultures or sexual orientations
What political war is PC now used in as a common weapon?
American conservatives and liberals
In what way was the term PC first used
In a sarcastic manner during the late 1970s and early 1980s
How did the conservatives begin to use PC in the early 1990s?
In a pejorative manner to critisize teaching and advocacy
