13. Political Correctness - Reading Comprehension

 

 

 

 

The term political correctness in modern usage is used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended primarily not to offend or disadvantage any particular group of people in society.

 

The term was infrequently used before the end of the twentieth century, but became popularised by criticism of the US university curricula in the early 1990s. In the last few years, however, the politically correct (PC) movement has itself come under criticism, because of the increasingly aggressive PC attacks on off-the-cuff remarks, which are blown up out of all proportion.

 

Microaggression is a term for apparently harmless comments or questions that can be construed as offensive to socially marginalized groups. For example, asking an American of Asian origin where he is from shows that he is considered a foreigner. To write in a job advert that the position would be offered to the best-qualified, suggests that, normally, non-white applicants would have an advantage on the basis of their skin colour. Even the typical American greeting “Hi guys!” is considered an example of microaggression, because women are excluded. Some people using microaggressive language intend no offence and are unaware they are causing harm; others use it as a subtle form of insult.

 

At American Universities today there are groups who feel permanently offended – women consider themselves at a disadvantage to men; coloured people feel that they are discriminated against by white people; homosexuals by non-homosexuals; transgender by non-transgender people. Professors must be careful about what they say for fear of unleashing a ‘shitstorm’ – as happened to a renowned scientist and Nobel Prize winner in 2015 who made what was intended as a joke that was seen as offensive to women. He ended up having to give up his professorship and other scientific posts, despite his valuable contributions to cancer research. Also in 2015 a professor at Yale University was forced to leave after objecting to a ban on Halloween costumes. The protesters argued that the costumes could be seen as offensive by some minorities. The professor was of the opinion that “American universities … have become places of censure and prohibition.”

 

Some students with a minority background at the University of California objected to the correction of their spelling and grammar, arguing that the corrections were part of a “hostile campus climate” for students of colour, and were in fact incorrect because they were “perceived grammatical choices that in actuality reflect ideologies.” A university band at Hampshire College in Massachusetts made up of mostly white musicians had problems because it played Afrobeat music, which is a fusion of funk and jazz music with African rhythms. Other students expressed their “concerns about cultural appropriation and the need to respect marginalized cultures.”

 

As it is no longer ‘permitted’ to have an alternative point of view without repercussions, universities are starting to lose their reputation as places of free speech, discussion and the exchange of arguments. This is also happening at European universities, for example, in Berlin a lecture was disrupted by students protesting at the use of texts by Immanuel Kant – whom they considered a racist. The police had to be called to calm the situation.

 

 

In the last few years, some remarks people have made (possibly without sufficient forethought) have been criticised far more than they deserved. truefalse

The Nobel Prize winner was saved from losing his job because of his previous good work. falsetrue

Universities have never been known for putting forward different points of view. falsetrue