The Growing Need for the Awareness of Political Correctness and Increasing Sensitivity

A detailed Summary of The Growing Need for the Awareness of Political Correctness and Increasing Sensitivity

We as Americans need to become more sensitive to our use of language because with the increasing number of ethnic groups in the country one has to be cautious as to how they should define a certain group. Political correctness is a type of medium that helps us come to respect and communicate with the diverse group of races and cultures.

Before we go on any further we must first define the meaning of political correctness. According to Webster's Dictionary, political correctness is the ideology that shows sensitivity, tolerance, and respect for another's race, gender, sexual preference, nationality, religion, age, physical handicap, or other especially if it differs from one's own. In other words, political correctness (better known as PC) is behavior and speech manifested in people of all race and culture that reflects an open-minded attitude towards other people present within the society today. For example, being "PC" refers to using phrases as "physically challenged" instead of "disabled" and "Asian" rather than "Oriental."

This term originated, interestingly enough, after the Civil Rights Movement and during the birth of modern feminism when many minority groups were fighting for their rights as Americans. The meanin

People who don't like political correctness also say forcefully that by imposing political correctness on the general public, it in turn threatens the First Amendment, our freedom of speech. Such people need just to learn to change and that is that. The use of a word may be more cumbersome, but also may save someone's dignity, so then figure out which one is a better reason. Another point is that the people who don't want to change tend to be the ones hurting people, rather than actually being hurt.

(Currie, Bennie M. "The N-Word and How to Use It" The Chicago Reader, Dec 19,1997).

Pressley, Sue Anne. "Use of Indian Mascot Brings Justice Dept. to N.C. Town" Washington Post 17 Feb. 1999: A3.

"What is Political Correctness?". http://www.cs.cott.ac.uk/~axs96m/pqi/whatis.html (12 Feb 1999).

"Censorship vs. Freedom of Speech". http://www.cs.nott.ac.uk/~axs96m/pqi/argumenta.html (12 Feb 1999).

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Approximate Word count = 1425
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous

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