Political Correctness

In “Yuletide Terror and Other Holiday Horrors”, columnist Frederick Meekins focused upon the growing war against Christmas and other traditional holidays. In “Return Of The Yuletide Terror & Other Holiday Horrors”, he proves that this same campaign continues decades later in its ongoing attempt to undermine the nation’s Judeo-Christian foundation and erode our fundamental religious liberties.

O presente trabalho analisa como o discurso do politicamente correto foi construído
ao longo dos tempos e a maneira como os movimentos sociais, principalmente, o têm
usado para combater as discriminações que são visualizadas nas peças publicitárias
de diversas empresas de publicidade e propaganda, partindo da hipótese de que o
mesmo tem influenciado de alguma forma as mesmas. São analisadas algumas
peças que sofreram, de alguma forma, críticas quanto ao conteúdo que
apresentavam, tentando identificar quais são os grupos e quais os espaços que
utilizaram para fazer suas denúncias e como a lógica do discurso foi construída para
legitimar suas críticas. Para esta verificação veremos como os movimentos sociais
têm através de pesquisas de cunho acadêmico e da sua luta em prol dos seus
direitos, denunciado os diversos tipos de preconceito que podemos encontrar nas
mais diversas camadas da sociedade e que encontra raízes numa ordem hegemônica
brasileira e como elas se empoderam da liberdade de expressão para se justificar e
se perpetuar.

In three studies we examined lay definitions of cultural appropriation in U.S. community and college student samples. In a fourth study we examined correlates of perceptions of cultural appropriation. Using community and undergraduate student samples (Studies 1-2), and popular media articles (Study 3) we examined definitions of cultural appropriation following Rogers' (2006) typology of cultural exchange, dominance, and subordination. The results across three studies revealed that cultural appropriation was defined predominantly as cultural exploitation. In Study 4 we examined political correctness (emotion and activism), social justice, empathy (perspective taking and empathic concern), and political orientation as correlates of cultural appropriation perceptions. Using canonical correlations, we found that cultural exploitation was the primary contributor to the synthetic predictor, and political orientation, emotion political correctness, activism political correctness, and social justice made significant contributions to the criterion variable, but not empathy. Implication and further research directions are discussed.

Trying to understand contemporary populism throughout the lens of Arendt can help us recognise general challenges of modern society that have not disappeared from the stage of post-war European and American history; yet, it would be a mistake to argue that the rise of right-wing populism is characterised by a ‘totalitarianisation’ of the polity. Rather, contemporary right-wing populism is reluctant towards totalitarian understandings while attempting to fit into the ideological hegemony of liberal democracy. Indeed, one might argue that right-wing populists attempt to ‘detotalitarianise’ liberal-democracy, e.g. make the liberal-democrat values flexible so to gain power readily.

This article is a brief response to Ramsey E. Ramsey's essay 'Letters on the hermeneutic education of dwelling' published in Empedocles (6: 1, pp. 77–90). While it sees Ramsey's defense of the lecture as a necessary articulation of the specificity of the work professors do in the humanities classroom, it points to the necessity of an enhanced self-awareness given the pervasive sense of crisis in the humanities, and in light of more recent developments on American and British campuses.

Transgenderism is a religious belief (ideology) and enforcement of it by the State violates the First Amendment.
The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America.
The attempt to force a transgender ideology upon schools and governments is a violation of the First Amendment in three ways. 
First, it is an attempt to establish a religion. Transgenderism is a belief that is not upheld by science. A person claims to be transgender by identification, which is a mental or emotional attachment to an idea. The person who claims to be a female, but is in fact a male, is denying the scientific fact of biology, genetics and DNA. Whatever they may “feel,” it does not make it a fact or true.
Second, the attempt to force others to conform to some complex forms of “politically correct” speech, is a violation of the second clause by prohibiting the free exercise of religion, as well as third, suppressing the freedom of speech by refusing to allow people to speak correctly of scientific facts, but forces them to verbally uphold an ideology or religion.

In what ways is comedy subversive? This vital new book critically considers the importance of comedy in challenging and redefining our relations to race and racism through the lens of political correctness.

By viewing comedy as both a constitutive feature of social interaction and as a necessary requirement in the appraisal of what is often deemed to be ‘politically correct’, this book provides an innovative and multidisciplinary approach to the study of comedy and popular culture. In doing so, it engages with the social and cultural tensions inherent to our understandings of political correctness, arguing that comedy can subversively redefine our approach to ‘PC Debates’, contestations surrounding free speech and the popular portrayal of political correctness in the media and society. Aided by the work of both Slavoj Žižek and Alenka Zupančič, this unique analysis adopts a psychoanalytic/philosophical framework to explore issues of race, racism and political correctness in the widely acclaimed BBC ‘mockumentary’, The Office (UK), as well as a variety of television comedies.

Drawing from psychoanalysis, social psychology and philosophy, this book will be highly relevant for postgraduate students and academic researchers studying comedy, race/racism, multiculturalism, political correctness and television/film.

Corroborating contemporary biographers report that Jesus of Nazareth was born of a virgin, changed water to wine, made the blind see, healed the lame, raised the dead, walked on water, calmed a violent storm, fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fishes, lived again after his execution, and ascended into the clouds. According to witnesses and contemporary biographers, this Jesus also made the listed claims.

In this article, I approach the controversy over ‘political
correctness’ (PC) in terms of three questions: a socio-historical question, a theoretical question and a political question as follows. (1) Why this apparently increasing focus in politics on achieving social and political change through changing culture and changing language – what has happened socially that
can explain the ‘cultural turn’ and the ‘language turn’ in politics, in social and political theory, and in other domains of social practice? (2) How are we to understand the relationships among culture, language and other elements of social life and social practices – how are we to understand the relationship
between change in culture and language, and social change? (3) For those who are politically committed to substantive social and political change (whether on the right or on the left), what place can a politics centred around culture and language have in a political strategy which is to have some chance of success?
The article concludes with a discussion of strategies and tactics for contesting critiques of ‘PC’.

Translation of fiction is a highly demanding task since it should not only transfer the meaning with its lexical entities from one language into another but it should also convey the conciseness and terseness of structure as well as the aesthetic and emotional aspects from the source text into the target one. Yet, no matter how fine a translator’s work may be, sometimes there are particular difficulties stemming from a foreign culture, specific vocabulary or the atmosphere in the literary work. Therefore, a lot of target texts still require extra-linguistic factors such as the reader’s common knowledge, experience etc.

Die Ideen der Wissenschaft und der freien Wissenschaft verweisen aufeinander. Sie sind auf normative Voraussetzungen und epistemische Hoffnungen gegründet, die durch Wissenschaftsfreiheit im Sinne eines negativen Abwehrrechts nicht garantiert werden können. In dem Beitrag wird dafür argumentiert, das robuste Grundrecht der Wissenschaftsfreiheit mit Bezug auf das Ethos der (guten) Wissenschaft einerseits und spezifische gesellschaftliche und demokratischen Erwartungen andererseits zu reflektieren.

Wer die Freiheit der Wissenschaft beschneidet, der behindert den Anspruch auf Wahrheit, welche die wissenschaftliche Tätigkeit als solche charakterisiert. Ein solcher Zusammenhang zwischen epistemischer Offenheit und wissenschaftlichem Ethos wird in den aktuellen Debatten um die Freiheit der Wissenschaft regelmäßig hergestellt. In dem Beitrag wird versucht, die normativen Grundlagen, gegenwärtigen Herausforderungen und möglichen Grenzen der Wissenschaftsfreiheit mit Blick auf das Ethos der Wissenschaft auszuloten. Dabei wird zunächst die Frage diskutiert, wozu das Gut der Wissenschaftsfreiheit gut ist. Es werden verschiedene normative, d.h. epistemische, ethische und gesellschaftliche Erwartungen identifiziert, die mit der Freiheit der Wissenschaft einhergehen (1). Das bietet den Ausgangspunkt für die Charakterisierung der Wissenschaft als kollektive, kooperative und selbstregulierende Tätigkeit, die durch ein epistemisches und ethisches scientific ethos angeleitet wird. Darüber hinaus lassen sich Kongruenzen von Wissenschafts- und Meinungsfreiheit bzw. von freier Wissenschaft und freiheitlicher Demokratie bestimmen (2). Abschließend geht es nicht mehr um die Frage, wie frei die (wissenschaftliche/nichtwissenschaftliche) Meinung, sondern wie die freie Meinung sein sollte. Es wird argumentiert, dass mit dem epistemischen Wagnis der Freiheit eine konkrete epistemische Hoffnung verbunden ist, die zu erfüllen in der individuellen und institutionellen Verantwortung der Wissenschaft liegt (3).

This paper provides a historical account of the ‘pickup artists’ (PUA) phenomenon, tracing the origins back to the early 1970s when more liberal attitudes towards sexuality were on the rise in the West.  Today PUA advice not only includes information about seduction techniques, but also programs about self-improvement or so-called ‘inner game’.  Seduction and dating gurus can be found across the internet – from individual bloggers, dating coaches and relationship experts, all providing niche services and products on how to seduce and/or have fulfilling relationships with women.  By addressing the moral panics around the PUA discourse, the paper seeks to illustrate the connection between second wave feminism, as a discourse increasingly interested in the idea of ‘gender egalitarianism’ and the popularity of seduction techniques for men based on emerging scientific research.

The article is an attempt to reflect on the phenomenon of "political turn" in literary studies, postcolonial theory as an example and some of its applications in the Polish literary theory, for any damage and the benefits they bring to literary studies. "Political turn " is seen here as a characteristic of significant change in the latest Polish culture, which contributed to the spread of Western literary trends under the sign of postcolonial and gender studies. The most important phenomenon around the considered issues was the so-called political correctness, which is crucial for the pragmatic functioning of these conceptions. A closer look at the attempts of post-colonial theory is extremely important because of their relevance to multiculturalism and geopolitical regionalism issues.

Artykuł jest próbą refleksji nad zjawiskiem „zwrotu politycznego” w badaniach literackich, na przykładzie teorii postkolonialnej i wybranych jej aplikacji w polskim literaturoznawstwie, pod kątem ewentualnych szkód i pożytków z nich płynących dla literaturoznawstwa. „Zwrot polityczny” postrzegany jest tutaj jako wyróżnik istotnej zmiany w polskiej kulturze najnowszej, do której przyczyniło się również upowszechnienie zachodnich kierunków literaturoznawczych spod znaku studiów postkolonialnych oraz gender studies. Za najważniejsze zjawisko w obrębie tej problematyki uznana została tzw. poprawność polityczna, która jest kluczowa dla pragmatyki funkcjonowania tych koncepcji. Bliższe przyjrzenie się próbom stosowania teorii postkolonialnych jest niezwykle istotne ze względu na ich znaczenie dla problematyki wielokulturowości i geopolitycznego regionalizmu.

En los últimos dos años, el escritor canadiense y profesor de Psicología en la Universidad de Toronto Jordan B. Peterson (Edmonton, Canadá, 1962) ha construido un discurso firme y a contracorriente sobre cuestiones controvertidas del pensamiento actual. Además, lo ha hecho llegar a un público amplio, a través de la distribución en las redes sociales de sus clases, conferencias y publicaciones y del contacto directo con personas que discrepan de sus ideas.

English has many words that speakers sometimes use in a broad, genus way and sometimes in a narrow, species way. The context allows listeners to know which sense is intended. Sometimes one of the meanings derives from a technical word. The existence of a technical or quasi-technical use does not make the non-technical use incorrect. The word animal, for example, is commonly used to refer to beasts, but in biological circles the word includes humans. Another example relates to the female genitals.

"This is just a call for sanity. I am a left-leaning progressive. I am an ally to progressive causes. But I can certainly tell you this: one does not sway hearts and souls through the policing of language, the policing of thoughts, the silencing of voices, and the dismissal of viewpoints. That way lies madness. And unlike Alice, we do not have the luxury of waking up from this madness on the riverbank, brushing ourselves off and going in for tea. We have to stay here and make this work. If we care at all about improving society, then we need to take a good, hard look at how university classrooms are currently functioning, and think deeply about how they got this way."


Please read the article here: https://quillette.com/2018/07/02/through-the-looking-glass-at-concordia-university/

Critics have raised their eyebrows at the work of Boondocks creator McGruder repeatedly accusing him of making a mockery of the legacies of Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Associated Press, 2006). They have questioned his insensitivity to the 9-11 attacks and the promotion of misogynistic themes through the voice of his characters. Moreover, his frequent use of the ‘N-word’ has been considered to be offensive. Accordingly, this study examines how a millennial audience, one which came to age in an era of political correctness and in a supposed post-racial society, reads The Boondocks, a text that seems to challenge political correctness and the acceptance of a truly post-racial America.

Introductory courses dealing with sex, gender and sexuality are usually quite biased, going as far as to deny the reality of biology. Drawing on the Catholic tradition (Aquinas), this article presents an accessible argument aimed at restoring deliberative balance in the classroom.

Πώς θα είναι άραγε το θεατρο μετά την πανδημία; Πόσο θα το επηρεάσει η οικονομική κρίση; Ποιοι παράγοντες θα διαμορφώσουν τη φυσιογνωμία του; Αυτά και πολλά άλλα ερωτήματα απασχολούν το άρθρο αυτό στην προσπάθειά του να χαρτογραφήση την Επόμενη Μέρα.

Hermeneutic circle and (im)possibility of political correctness:
terminological problem in researches of religious history
Usage of terms in the field of religious history is being analyzed. It is claimed that terminological problem in history has been studied by such historians as Marc Bloch, Reinhart Koselleck, Marina Bobkova and others but the specificity of terms usage in religious history studies has not been considered yet. The problems of political correctness and hermeneutic circle connected with the using of terms are described. Solution to such problems is proposed.
It is shown that the choice of research object in history always means the construction of it. This is the basis for debates about the continuities in the history of different social groups. In the area of religion such problem is especially difficult, because from the believers’ point of view their religious group is often an ontological phenomenon. It is claimed that choosing of particular meaning of such multi-layered terms as “religion”, “Christianity”, “Orthodoxy” ets. by historians is connected with their likes and dislikes. The author came to conclusion that verification of different meanings of such terms with the methods of secular humanities and science is impossible. As an example the author pays attention to the controversial problems of identification the Scientology as religious confession, Jehovah's Witnesses as a Christian organization, Old Belief as Orthodoxy. A lot of terms (heresy, schism, sect ets.), being used in the studies of the history of religion, have not only scientific but also theological senses. Such senses could be offensive for representatives of some religious groups.
It is claimed that equivocation should be avoided; the boundary between confessional-oriented and secular humanities should be understood. The problem of hermeneutic circle might be solved by studying and description of religious phenomena from various research perspectives, which means, inter alia, the usage of different categories and concepts frameworks. Moreover it is shown the necessity of perpetual reflection and self-reflection of historians about the influence of terms on their research conclusions.
Key words: history of religion, historiography, science studies, terminology, hermeneutic circle, political correctness.


Досліджено специфіку використання термінів у наукових працях з історії релігії.  Визначено, що низка понять імпліцитно наповнені сенсами, які є досить дражливими для представників певних релігійних груп, і при цьому не можуть бути перевірені в рамках світської науки. Висвітлюється зв’язок використання термінів у дослідженнях з історії релігії з проблемою герменевтичного кола. Зроблено наголос на необхідності уникнення еквівокації при використанні багатозначних термінів, проведення чіткої межі між світською та конфесійно-спрямованою наукою, опису досліджуваних явищ одразу з кількох дослідницьких перспектив (що передбачає і застосування різного категоріального апарату). Показано сенс постійної рефлексії дослідника стосовно впливу застосовуваної ним термінології на фокус та результати його дослідження.
Ключові слова: історія релігії, історіографія, наукознавство, термінологія, герменевтичне коло, політкоректність

This article is about artistic freedom of speech and censorship. It compares sadistic and misogynistic elements of (uncensored) Surrealism (from Hans Bellmer's dolls and pornographic photographs, to Giacometti's 'Woman with Her Throat Cut' and the writing of Georges Bataille) to recent censorship of Drill music and self-censorship in comedy. It analyses the cases for and against repressing taboo themes by comparing the Surrealist call for 'pure psychic automatism' with conservative calls for artistic censorship on the grounds of moral decency or blasphemy and liberal calls to censor politically incorrect themes - questioning the unconscious motives of both. It subjects Surrealist art to Peter Tatchell's criteria for censorship, concluding that morality is not fixed and that, unless it falls fowl of Tatchell's three exceptions, art should not be censored.

This article examines how racism and nationalism flourish in participatory media spaces by analyzing user comments and images posted on the reddit community r/ImGoingToHellForThis in the week following widespread news coverage of the photograph of Alan Kurdi, a Syrian boy whose dead body was photographed on a beach in Turkey. The community is dominated by racist nationalist discourse that combines textual commentary with photographs and other visual media that have been remediated into offensive visual jokes, which " cloak " the racism. Through an in-depth study of user-submitted comments and visual jokes, this article argues that the " cloaks " that obscure online racism can be at once highly obvious and highly effective. Rather than unmasking obscured racist online ideologies, scholars must also examine how racism flourishes while hiding in plain sight by tracing how racist discourses assemble in participatory media communities.

In today’s politically correct (PC) world, everything is under review for potential offensiveness. While I find such witch hunts of offensiveness offensive, I would like to offer a brief argument of why the game of chess may come under the scrutiny of the “PC police” and be banned.

This paper offers an unorthodox appraisal of empirical research bearing on the question of the low representation of women in philosophy.  It contends that fashionable views in the profession concerning implicit bias and stereotype threat are weakly supported, that philosophers often fail to report the empirical work responsibly, and that the standards for evidence are set very low—so long as you take a certain viewpoint.