I'm not an all-knowing being. I don't know what is right and what is wrong all the time. Sometimes, for instance, I think it's acceptable to put ketchup on macaroni and cheese but then I remember I must be in the wrong based on the disturbed image of my food eating comrades. And sometimes I think the best use of one's time is to take a nap at noon, but apparently this is also "not acceptable." But on more important note, I don't know when it is best to draw the line for tolerance. I know that I am an advocate for tolerance in pretty much every aspect of it in politics, but I don't know if the culture that surrounds political correctness (PC culture) has crossed boundaries and is demanding too much without enough substance to back it up. This is why I have decided to focus on this culture as my paradigm shift, as I have a personal interest in deepening my understanding of a current social situation.
Two different perspectives on political culture expressed in political cartoons:
Thesis: A rapid and unyielding cultural shift with the intention of breeding empathy has resulted in the advent of a specific lexicon germane to the phenomenon of political correctness, which captures the younger generations' tolerance of government.
I will delve into the specific type of language that has become popularized within the past decades. I will identity a specific starting time that will probably be around the 1970s since that is when the phrase "political correctness" began to emerge. I will trace what specific events and social attitudes were expressed that gave rise to the label of PC while specifically focusing on the intent of creating the label. I will be most focused on the emergence of the language that is associated with this new culture and how this language illuminates the culture's sensitive and aware aspect. The essay will focus not only on what new language seems to have been incorporated and/or encouraged in today's society, but also what language elicits a negative reaction and is highly discouraged. I will examine how this language and culture's paradigm shift extends today and analyze the significance of its continued nature, especially with the election of Trump who represents a reaction against the culture.
Two different perspectives on political culture expressed in political cartoons:
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| Image Courtesy of Quora |
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| Image Courtesy of Political Insider |
Thesis: A rapid and unyielding cultural shift with the intention of breeding empathy has resulted in the advent of a specific lexicon germane to the phenomenon of political correctness, which captures the younger generations' tolerance of government.
I will delve into the specific type of language that has become popularized within the past decades. I will identity a specific starting time that will probably be around the 1970s since that is when the phrase "political correctness" began to emerge. I will trace what specific events and social attitudes were expressed that gave rise to the label of PC while specifically focusing on the intent of creating the label. I will be most focused on the emergence of the language that is associated with this new culture and how this language illuminates the culture's sensitive and aware aspect. The essay will focus not only on what new language seems to have been incorporated and/or encouraged in today's society, but also what language elicits a negative reaction and is highly discouraged. I will examine how this language and culture's paradigm shift extends today and analyze the significance of its continued nature, especially with the election of Trump who represents a reaction against the culture.
Works Cited
Behrens,
Josh. "The Irony of “Free Speech”." University Wire, Oct 15, 2017, Education Database, http://ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/docview/1950871036?accountid=13158.
Cherry,
R. (2017, Oct 15). Op-ed: Stop misguided campaigns against hate speech. University Wire Retrieved
from http://ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/docview/1950870931?accountid=13158
Davidson, Bruce W. "Political Correctness in the Land of
Conformity." Academic Questions, vol. 26, no. 2, 2013, pp. 182-191, Eric, http://ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/docview/1413416506?accountid=13158.
Fairclough,
Norman. “`Political Correctness': the Politics of Culture and Language.” Discourse
and Society, vol. 14, no. 1, 1 Jan. 2003, pp. 17–28.,
journals.sagepub.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/doi/pdf/10.1177/0957926503014001927.
Halmari, Helena.
“Political Correctness, Euphemism, and Language Change: The Case of ‘People
First.’” Journal of Pragmatics, vol. 43, no. 3, Feb. 2011, pp.
828–840.,
ac.els-cdn.com/S0378216610002961/1-s2.0-S0378216610002961-main.pdf?_tid=2066fa0a-b47c-11e7-a8f0-00000aacb362&acdnat=1508383267_9e68ac90a39c1d8b73e63814384d086f.
Hal
This is a very interesting and specific topic. I like it! In your thesis I would consider toning down the word choice a bit to get your message across clearer. Also when writing don't forget to include why this shift occurred. Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteMatt, I think your topic is interesting. However, I find your thesis wordy and confusing. On the other hand, your content seems to be well thought out and organized well. I like how your topic is relative and is prevalent in today's society. You have a good start on establishing your shift AND establishing why it has happened. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteI want to start off by saying that I really love this topic. I agree with everyone else here that your thesis is a bit confusing. Besides that, I think your overall direction with your essay is solid, and I'm excited to see what you have to say!
ReplyDeleteMatt, first things first, I agree with your food comrades that mac and cheese + ketchup is slightly disturbing, but I would LOVE to regularly take a nap at noon, so I think that behavior is perfectly acceptable.
ReplyDeleteNow that those important matters are addressed, let me get to your topic.
I echo your classmates' thoughts: 1) excellent focus, 2) highly complicated thesis. (Made me feel as if I were trudging through, not easing into, the topic.)
Carry on! You are on the right path. (Not with the mac&cheese and ketchup, though.) :)