As modern collegiettes and Bucknellians, political correctness is a hot topic. The issue of speaking respectfully comes up almost every day, in both class discussions and peer conversations, often in reference to one of the recent heartbreaking instances of public hate on campus.
The idea of political correctness is complicated. Most liberals argue that obliterating our use of disrespectful language by being politically correct is necessary in achieving social equality, but others claim that doing so is an infringement on our freedom of speech and that it stifles important conversations. Bucknellians, too, are evidently divided when it comes to this topic.
I happen to agree with the liberal-minded folk on this one. If we take a moment to reflect on the history of social inequality, it is clear that language has always been a key perpetrator when it comes to discrimination. A single word spoken by a single person has the ability to divide, alienate, humiliate, and degrade masses of people. Still, society has continually created prejudiced terms, and in them has manifested racism, sexism, ageism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, and much more.
Although I believe in the idea of politically correctness, I also acknowledge that it can cause problems. When we are individually called out for not speaking in a politically correct fashion, the experience is usually more shameful than educational. It often creates distance between the two parties involved and is counterproductive. This doesn’t mean that it’s better to ignore disrespectful language. We all have slips, and we all need to be held accountable for them.
It is an enormous challenge to be our best, politically correct selves in all situations. Particularly when in intimate settings with close friends, we can become comfortable enough to tell a discriminatory joke or use a discriminatory word in what seems like a harmless way. We are all responsible for this from time to time, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay. The act of tolerating microaggressions, whether toward yourself or someone else, enforces the idea that it’s acceptable to be disrespectful sometimes. This is faulty, because if it is acceptable to use harmful language in only certain cases, it is impossible for everyone to consistently know what these certain cases are. In the end, someone always gets hurt.
Calling out our friends without being a killjoy can be a very tricky task. In fact, it’s nearly impossible. A new concept called “calling in,” however, offers a much more desirable and beneficial approach. Ngọc Loan Trần, the inventor of this term, explains, “the first part of calling each other in is allowing mistakes to happen…I start ‘call in’ conversations by identifying the behavior and defining why I am choosing to engage with them. I prioritize my values and invite them to think about theirs and where we share them. And then we talk about it. We talk about it together, like people who genuinely care about each other.” “Calling in” employs compassion and allows for the subject to be enlightened instead of ashamed.
If we all start “calling in,” being politically correct will be so much easier. Next time you hear someone use disrespectful language, instead of panicking about whether you should ignore them or call them out, try “calling them in.”
Read more on the Web
http://www.blackgirldangerous.org/2013/12/calling-less-disposable-way-holding-accountable/