Trends in the use of language for inclusiveness

The role of social organizations

Essay , 2016 , 9 Pages

Pedagogy - Orthopaedagogy and Special Education

As society is getting more and more inclusive, the way we communicate is also changing. In the ancient and the medieval periods, those people who were different were excluded from the society. Neither was medical science very advanced nor the people’s mindsets. The persons with disabilities were ostracized, marginalized or killed at birth. But today, we need to create a society where not only the physical well being but also the psycho-social aspects need to be taken into consideration.

In the 21st century a lot these aspects are emphasized in education. Many guidelines have been prepared on how to communicate in reference to persons with disabilities. In this paper, the author has mentioned most of these suggestions of style manuals. Further, the role of social organizations like schools, communities, media, etc., particularly in India to incorporate these guidelines or how far have these been incorporated in the system has been looked into. The author has also included some examples of prevailing gender stereotypes with special reference to people of the third gender.

The author has also looked into the reasons as to why these pejorative expressions should not be used. It is a well known fact that the proper use of words can make a good impression and can be a reflection of a person’s character and personality. It can also help to make new friends and create goodwill. Sounds and words have a healing effect when used appropriately or conversely, it has the potential to create negative feelings. If social organizations are not aware and do not disseminate this bias free language, then people will tend to make errors in communication as a result of their influence.

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Abstract ... 1

1.Introduction ... 3

2.Review of Literature ... 3

3.Results and Discussion ... 4

4. Recommendations... 7

5.Conclusion ... 8

References ... 9

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1.Introduction

As the society is getting more and more inclusive, the way we communicate is also changing.

In the ancient and the medieval periods, those people who were different were excluded from

the society. Neither was medical science very advanced nor the people's mindsets. The per-

sons with disabilities were ostracized, marginalized or killed at birth. In Sparta, babies who

were weak were not spared either because there, it was the survival of the fittest. As we move

along the pages of history, they were termed as possessed, sinner, cripple, deviant, unfit, lame,

idiot and more recently retarded. But have we thought about as to why these terms are no

longer used today. It is due to the fact that we are slowly moving towards an inclusive society.

And to achieve this, not only the physical well being but also the psychosocial aspects need to

be taken into consideration. In the 21

st

century a lot these aspects are emphasized in educa-

tion. These terms have taken a pejorative form today. This may be due to the historical stigma

and oppression that were attached to these terms or the language usage may not have been

proper.

1.1Objectives of the study

1.To find out whether social organizations like media, schools are using politically correct

terms or not to refer to disadvantaged groups and disabled persons.

2.The possible psychological effects of negative expressions.

3.The linguistic backgrounds of such words.

2.Review of Literature

Richard Rieser and Mason have studied the phenomena of the everyday language that we use

in their books like `Disability Equality in the Classroom'(1990/1992) and `Altogether Bet-

ter'(1994).

2.1Materials and Methodology

Various critical books and case study books were read and also internet was used. Electronic

media sites were also researched for a few case studies.

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3.Results and Discussion

In various writers' style manuals like that of the American Psychological Association, etc., we

get examples of bias free language. Here, the manual has suggestions for terms and expres-

sions to be used with reference to disabled persons, people with different gender identities,

etc. For example, the term handicapped that we see painted on various public transport vehi-

cles is wrong. It is because the expression is also a verb, which means a burden was created

from the outside and makes the person totally dysfunctional in society. It is commonly seen

and heard people using the expression, the disabled, the blind, etc. In these cases it is to be

remembered that the particular disability does not define the entire person. The disability is

only an "aspect of the person". We have to understand that they are people like you and us. It

is also not proper to use expressions like the blind, deaf, etc., and instead we should say, a

person with visual impairment as there are figurative expressions like "you are a blind profli-

gate", etc. And by using these expressions you are stereotyping a disabled person into a par-

ticular category of profession like begging and assuming that person to be indisposed.

3.1

With reference to the third gender, there are lots of misconceptions as to the correct way to

term and address them. The transgender people are often confused with the intersex people

and transsexual persons. I had come across a particular University's academicians' article on

the employability of transgender. There, an Indian term called `hijra' was used. But let me

reiterate that `hijras' are generally the transsexual people who have biological characteristics

different from transgender people. The transgender people feel a different gender identity than

the one that society forces them to accept. And very recently in a school in England, a teacher

did not wish to call her students, girls and boys but rather `pupils' to make her classroom

more inclusive. In our country, in many schools there is an administrative routine every

month or so to take the headcount of every girl and boy in the class and note it in a form. But I

do not recall noticing any space for the third gender. So gender neutral language is becoming

popular. Epicene pronouns are being coined by academicians to further this.

3.2

Many electronic and digital media today are becoming aware of these but during my research,

I found that they are still using archaic expressions in their articles. I shall give few examples

of these statements and headlines, etc. One news media house uses the term "wheelchair

bound" which is a pejorative term for a person with a physical impairment. The article which

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was written on March 15

th

2016 states "Drop everything and listen to wheelchair-bound 12

year old cover Eminem". This same media house again wrote on May 14

th

, 2016 "70 year old

Wheel-chair bound woman not allowed to board Air-India flight". In these cases one should

use the expression "a person who uses a wheelchair". For, the expression "wheel-chair

bound" implies that the person who is on the wheel chair is suffering but who are we to say

whether they are suffering or not. So we should not define a person from our perspective but

rather accept them as they are.

Another popular media house writes on June 1

st

2016, "Doctors mislead couple, baby born

crippled". To put emphasis on the gravity of the situation the journalist has used strong words,

but not only is this term crippled archaic and pejorative, but these particular statements may

also affect the child when he/she grows up and finds these articles. He or she may think that

the society has perceived me to be detestable even at birth. So the media need to be a little

more sensitive to these things, because people are imbibing wrong terminology and errone-

ously using them in their daily life thinking them to be standard expressions. The archaic

word "cripple" has connotation of being a beggar and in the societies of the ancient and medi-

eval period they were outcasts and lived on the fringes of towns.

3.3

Linguistically speaking, pragmatics has broken down the levels of politeness into faces. Faces

are the subconsciously constructed images of the `I' and politeness seeks to inform the vari-

ous dimensions of these image building and destroying words and phrases. There is the "posi-

tive face" and the "negative face"(Yule,2010). Till now whatever I have spoken was the con-

cerns of the "negative face". The positive face of communicating creates inclusion automati-

cally. The "negative face" does not denote something bad. Rather it is a form of awareness

about the freedom from any sort of prejudice and burden. For example, suppose my friend has

fractured his leg and the doctor has advised rest. He can move with crutches. One day he asks

me to order a pizza. The phone may be just out of reach and my friend may not have required

any help. I am busy with an important report which the boss wants me to send in an hour. I

say to my friend, "Do it yourself. If I were you, I would not have sat inside all day."So, by

using these words I have just committed a "face destroying act". I have not only hurt his self

image and implied that he lacks confidence but harmed my image and relationship in the pro-

cess. A more convenient answer would have been, "I know the phone is out of reach and you

are hungry but could you just wait a few minutes till I complete this project. It's really ur-

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gent." In the latter sentence, I am not only showing a negative face of mine but also commit-

ting a "face saving act" by showing some concern for the image of the other person.

3.4

Daniel Goleman in his book "Emotional Intelligence" in 1995 stressed on self awareness and

self management for the smooth functioning of our day to day work and life. It would help us

to become better persons and efficient performers of our tasks. But during this period he also

had some inkling that it is not sufficient to know ourselves only. We have to know the other

person too because we do not live or work in vacuum. Therefore, in 2006 he published the

book "Social Intelligence". This book helps the readers to manage relationships better. It is

the science of knowing the person in your immediate space. So, subsequently he replaced self

awareness with social awareness and self management with relationship management.

Goleman's social awareness has aspects such as primal empathy, attunement, empathic accu-

racy and social cognition. The part I shall emphasize is empathic accuracy. Empathic accura-

cy is related to proper communication in diverse social situations. Apart from social cogni-

tion, empathic accuracy helps in direct communication and maintaining our image and rela-

tionships. By virtue of this skill, we are able to know when to speak and what are the correct

expressions that can be utilized for that particular situation. But whatever may be the psychol-

ogy that the author has proposed, ultimately our attitude and approach remains the key factor

for being social. Feelings of compassion for the other person are important. And moreover,

human values also play a significant role.

It has been stressed that the foremost reason for new teachers not being able to manage the

class and failing to evoke proper learning outcomes in the student is their "tunnel vi-

sion"(Evans, 2013). The "tunnel vision" does not allow the teacher to see from the student's

perspective and once the teacher starts to let go of this habit the more he/she becomes adept in

fulfilling the needs of the student. And I mention this, because the teacher comes to the class-

room with certain predispositions which hinders his goal to make his/her class more inclusive.

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4. Recommendations

Finally, the trend that I have noticed is that the terminology for expressions in social situa-

tions is more and more shifting from single words that have been clichéd, generalized and

have a historical stigma attached to these to more compound words and phrases that are indi-

rect and which do not seek to stereotype. I cannot say for sure if these will mitigate the burden

of oppression and prejudice that we have inherited. Nevertheless, these expressions are more

clearly defined and I shall hope it will lessen the ignorance of the people and make us more

civil.

However, when coining new expressions or trying to speak consciously, it should neither be

done in a flippant and superficial manner, using very loud or flowery language nor should our

manner of communicating seem patronizing. On the contrary, these should be subtle and sci-

entific in nature to show concern rather than flatter.

4.1

Sounds and words have a healing effect when used appropriately or conversely, it has the po-

tential to create negative feelings. Certain words have a unique ability to create positive feel-

ings in us through their energy. Whether we choose to ignore it or not, the after effect of a

positive or negative statement stays with us subconsciously for a long time. Words when used

inappropriately even when the speaker and the listener is ignorant of its implications tend to

promote bad feelings. Somewhere, the listener may feel that in spite of the fact that those sen-

tences were uttered innocently, something or the other is not right because our subconscious

does not want give those a clean chit.

This is because unconsciously, as we are growing up, we are gathering archetypes, to use

Jung's term and which is finally getting concretized the moment we are engaged in "per-

formatives" like speech acts. So even though certain expressions look innocuous, we are actu-

ally causing some amount of indirect discomfort in the other person. A person who is socially

aware will have the ability to avert these pejorative terms consciously. For this, inculcating

awareness through study is necessary. Therefore, socializing is not an easy task for some and

it requires some experience and a broader outlook.

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5.Conclusion

Social organizations should be given training for proper usage and be updated. It is imperative

that this orientation courses be conducted regularly, especially those organizations that deal

with people directly. By taking these steps, minimization of errors in language usage can be

achieved. There should also be a mechanism for constant feedback which should be taken

from the personnel regarding this. In certain literature textbooks, archaic terms may have been

used related to the context or written at a time when the author may not have thought much in

this direction. Therefore, it is also necessary for the teacher to explain and make the students

understand the contemporary trends in language usage and to avoid these archaic words in

their own compositions.

It is high time that people learn these rules, along with other rules of etiquette. Apart from

these, accessibility and infrastructure should be developed. Opportunities for expression

should also be given. And I would like to conclude by referring to the fact that we--by "we" I

mean the non disabled people often feel uncomfortable in certain situations because we are

not used to encounter it, so let me suggest something to everyone­ let's be ready to get used

to it.

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References

American Psychological Association.Publication Manual of the American Psychological

Association(6

th

ed.). Washington DC:Author.

Author.(2010). The Power of Words . The Dynamic Turnaround. Retrieved from

http://www.thedynamicturnaround.com/thepowerofwords.htm

Authors.(2013, December). Inclusive Language Guidance. Unitarian Universalist Association.

Retrieved from

http://www.uua.org/lgbtq/welcoming/ways/200008.shtml

Authors.(2016, January). Gender Neutral / Gender Inclusive Pronouns. University of Wiscon-

sin-Milwaukee. Retrieved from

https://uwm.edu/lgbtrc

Cole, M.(Ed) (2012). Education,Equality and Human Rights.London:Routledge.

Evans,M.(Ed.)(2013).Teacher Education and Pedagogy.Cambridge.Cambridge University

Press.

Goleman, D. (2006).Social Intelligence.New York: Bantam Dell.

Jungian archetypes. (2016, May 8). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:58,

July 14, 2016, from

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jungian_archetypes&oldid=719158456

Kohli, A.(2016, March). Drop Everything and Listen to Wheelchair-Bound 12-Year-Old

Cover Eminem. NDTV. Retrieved from

http://www.ndtv.com

.

Munyi, C.W.(2012,April). Past and Present Perceptions Towards Disability: A Historical Per-

spective .Disability Studies Quarterly.32(2).

http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/3197/3068

Office for Disability Issues and Department for Work and Pensions.(2014, August). Disability

Confident campaign and Equality. Retrieved from

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-communication

Political correctness. (2016, July 14). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12:19,

July 14, 2016, from

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Political_correctness&oldid=724862138

PTI.(2016, May). 70-Year-Old Wheel Chair-Bound Woman Not Allowed To Board Air India

Flight.NDTV. Retrieved from

http://www.ndtv.com

.

TNN.(2016, June).Doctor `mislead' couple, baby born crippled. The Times of India. Re-

trieved from

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

.

Transgender. (2016, July 4). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12:11, July 14,

2016, from

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Transgender&oldid=728305938

Yule, G. (2010).The Study of Language.New Delhi:Cambridge University Press.

Frequently asked questions

What is the abstract about?

The abstract is not provided in the extracted text.

What are the key themes and objectives of the "Language Preview" document?

The document explores the use of politically correct language, the psychological effects of negative expressions, and the linguistic backgrounds of potentially offensive terms. The main objective is to assess whether social organizations (e.g., media, schools) use appropriate terms when referring to disadvantaged groups and disabled persons.

What is the introduction about?

The introduction discusses the evolution of language and societal attitudes towards individuals with disabilities. It highlights the shift from exclusion and derogatory terms to a more inclusive approach, emphasizing the importance of psychosocial well-being. It also outlines the objectives of the study.

What are the objectives of the study?

The objectives of the study are:

1. To find out whether social organizations like media and schools are using politically correct terms or not to refer to disadvantaged groups and disabled persons.
2. To understand the possible psychological effects of negative expressions.
3. To explore the linguistic backgrounds of such words.

What does the "Review of Literature" section cover?

The review of literature mentions studies by Richard Rieser and Mason on everyday language usage related to disability. It also indicates the use of critical books, case studies, and internet research for gathering information.

What materials and methodology were used?

Various critical books and case study books were read, internet research was conducted, and electronic media sites were researched for case studies.

What are the "Results and Discussion" of the study?

This section delves into bias-free language guidelines as provided by writers' style manuals like the American Psychological Association. It gives specific examples of expressions to be used in reference to disabled people. It also highlights the issues surrounding terms related to the third gender and the misuse of archaic expressions in media reports.

What are some examples of problematic language usage?

Examples cited include:

• Using "handicapped" as it implies a burden was created from the outside.
• Referring to people as "the disabled" or "the blind" instead of saying "a person with a disability" or "a person with visual impairment."
• Using "wheelchair bound" which implies suffering from a physical impairment.
• Using "crippled" which has a derogatory historical background.

What is the relation between "faces" and politeness in linguistic pragmatics?

Linguistic pragmatics has broken down the levels of politeness into faces. Faces are the subconsciously constructed images of the `I', and politeness seeks to inform the various dimensions of these image building and destroying words and phrases. There is a "positive face" and a "negative face". The study highlights how certain words and phrases can impact these "faces" and affect communication.

What are some recommendations made in the text?

The terminology for expressions in social situations is shifting from single words that are clichéd, generalized, and have a historical stigma attached to these to more compound words and phrases that are indirect and do not seek to stereotype. But when coining new expressions or trying to speak consciously, it should neither be done in a flippant and superficial manner. It also must be subtle and scientific in nature.

What's the conclusion about?

Social organizations should be given training for proper usage and be updated. Constant feedback should be taken from the personnel regarding the training. There should also be explanation to students on the contemporary trends in language usage to avoid archaic words in their own compositions.

What are the references cited?

The document cites various sources, including:

• American Psychological Association Publication Manual
• Articles and resources related to inclusive language and gender-neutral pronouns
• Books on education, equality, and human rights
• Daniel Goleman's works on social intelligence
• Wikipedia articles on Jungian archetypes, political correctness, and transgender issues
• Media articles highlighting problematic language usage
• The study of language.New Delhi:Cambridge University Press.

• College: University of Calcutta (University of Calcutta)
• Course: Master of Education
• Author: Soumit Basu (Author)
• Publication Year: 2016
• Pages: 9
• Catalog Number: V337675
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668275591
• ISBN (Book): 9783668275607
• Language: English
• Tags: disability, language, media, schools, communication