I have a conflicted relationship with the concept of political correctness.
On one level, I think most of the concepts surrounding the hype are garbage: white people, men, heterosexuals, and other groups with institutional power being told we/they should not say certain words is not “political correctness”—it’s taking a stand on the side of justice and acknowledging unequal power dynamics in our society.
However, there are occasional times when I think political correctness is very real—upholding dominant power structures rather than resisting them. To me, the difference between real and perceived political correctness is about institutional power.
If a dominant group, such as able-bodied people, is telling a marginalized group, such as disabled people, that society should use person-first language to refer to us as “people with disabilities” because to them it seems more polite and respectful without understanding most disabled people don’t like person-first language, that is, in fact, on-the-mark political correctness and a form of ableism.
Another example where power dynamics are not being acknowledged by dominant groups supposedly working for the marginalized is when whites advocate a “colorblind” society that ignores racial inequality and inequity as if such an approach solves the problem of racism in society. That, too, is political correctness and a form of racism—as the late historian Manning Marable called it, color-blind racism.
I will admit, however, that the idea of political correctness as a viable concept bothers me—why stigmatize people for wanting to respect others? There’s nothing wrong with being sensitive to others’ concerns; words matter, after all. The problem is when it doesn’t actually respect the marginalized.
So, no, I am not against everything that gets called political correctness, but when it ostensibly respects the marginalized but really doesn’t listen to their/our concerns, that’s not respect.
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