Racism and Language Changes

This essay examines the evolution of language in relation to racism, highlighting the impact of political correctness on discourse in society. It discusses how words have changed their meanings over time, reflecting cultural and political shifts, particularly in university settings. The analysis includes vari...Read More

Running Head: RACISM AND LANGUAGE CHANGES 1
Title: Racism and language changes
Name:
Institution:

RACISM AND LANGUAGE CHANGES 2
“Words are rarely, if ever inert for meaning” (Hale & Basides, 2013, p 57) is an assertion
proven true by the evolution of language in relation to racism in the United States and elsewhere
on the globe. Racism has long been at the center of the country's national discourse, in its wake
influencing the way language and politics have evolved. In university campuses, political
correctness has become a new battleground, in which the students struggle to express themselves
properly, while taking care to avoid upsetting the sensibilities of people from diverse
backgrounds, racially or otherwise. This essay aims to showcase how words have changed their
meaning over time, reflecting a natural cycle in the evolution of language, while at the same time
presenting a need by the political class academics and ordinary people to sound politically
correct. Specific words will be analyzed for the changing meaning over the years.
There is an increasing focus on the nature of the language used in political and social
discourse. According to Fairclough (2003), there is a perceptible change in language; which may
be seen as echoing a change in social interactions between people. It is now easier to offend
people using terms and themes which were previously deemed acceptable and widely used as a
result. All these changes echo a direct relationship between culture, politics, and language. As
the political environment changes, so do culture. By extension, the language which is a medium
for communicating political and cultural ideas also changes. Fairclough (2003) argues that
political correctness have had a profound effect on language. Its origins are mainly traced to the
Reagan – Thatcher period in the 1980s, where neo-liberalism took a foot and anti-racists, anti-
sexists, and others sought to institutionalize acceptable language as the only form of expression.
Anderson (1993) also alludes to the culture of political correctness and how it has
affected interactions. Drawing on the events at the University of Cincinnati and Brown

RACISM AND LANGUAGE CHANGES 3
University, he asks whether political correctness has been prioritized at the expense of one of the
essential foundations of the American democracy as enshrined in the First Amendment to the
United States Constitution. In institutions, there is an increased tendency to ensure that political
correctness is observed even when it apparently helps compromise freedom of speech. While
speech should be used to interfere with the rights of others, Anderson (1993) argues that this
does not mean freedom of expression should be curtailed nonetheless. According to the
proponents of political correctness, as analyzed by Anderson (1993) and Fairclough (2003) any
discussion that offends a particular group of people should be discouraged. Similarly, words
which are upsetting to racial groups or people of specific backgrounds should be shunned.
Anderson (1993) is however quick to point out the lack of cohesiveness in the fight to
instill political correctness, especially in university campuses. He gives the instance of a black
student at the University of Cincinnati not being regarded as racist since racists can only be
whites. In another situation, a university responds to a political correctness issue in dramatic
fashion, negating even the positive side of diversity, by banning culturally – themed parties
fearing that they may offend other people. The result of these actions and others points towards
to making political corrections. The narrative in public and private institutions has led to the
change of words as posited by Hale and Basides (2013), and adoption of terms deemed more
respectable.
Words historically used to denote racial differences have not been spared. As Rahman
(2012) notes in his research article on the evolution of the N-word, there is a thin line between
political correctness and racism. According to the author, words which are considered the highest
form of taboo are also highly permissible intra-culturally. For instance, a variant of the N-word is
regarded central to African American identity. It is used with fellow blacks, but never by a

RACISM AND LANGUAGE CHANGES 4
person of another racial group referring to an African American. Such a stance makes it even
more difficult to understand political correctness correctly. However, it has long been portrayed
as the essential way through which racism can be killed, and the only sure way to which
minorities can be protected (Anderson, 1993).
Others beg to differ from this narrative. Among them is Ireland (2016). Political
correctness may be a tool through which the society can better protect minorities and fight
racism while making speech more acceptable to different people. However, it can also be viewed
as a form of escapism. People who do not want to face difficult questions about race, political or
culture can always hide behind the amorphous nature of political correctness. At certain times, it
is true that the sensibilities of people may be offended by the use of un-politically correct
language. Over time, however, specific sectors of the society have become experts at wielding
political correctness when the issue is too hot to handle, or when they do not have proper
answers. Language changes due to political correctness have therefore succeeded in diluting the
effect that discourse once had (Morris, 2001).
.
In the United States, Australia and elsewhere, the government, political class, and
institutions of higher learning are at the forefront of these conversations. But they are not the
only ones who are shaping it. It has quickly become a theme which promises to draw in everyone
interested in freedom of speech, political correctness and fighting divisive issues such as racism
(Rahman, 2012).

RACISM AND LANGUAGE CHANGES 5
References
Anderson, C. B. (1992). Political Correctness on College Campuses: Freedom of Speech v.
Doing the Politically Correct Thing. SMUL Rev., 46, 171.
Fairclough, N. (2003). ‘Political correctness’: The politics of culture and language. Discourse &
Society, 14(1), 17-28.
Hale, A. &Basides, H. (2013). The Keys to Academic English. Melbourne: Palgrave
Macmillan.
Ireland, J. (2016, January 29). Political correctness – a great term to dismiss issues that become
too hard or inconvenient. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved from:
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/politicalcorrectness-8211-
agreat-term-to-dismiss-issues-that-become-too-hard-or-inconvenient-
20160128gmflgo.html
Morris, S. (2001). Political correctness. Journal of political Economy, 109(2), 231-265.
Rahman, J. (2012). The N Word: Its History and Use in the African American Community.
Journal of English Linguistics, 40(2), 137-171.