Politically Correct - what does it mean

[Emma two]

Which was pretty much my point, Steve.

 

 

It's the degenderisation of life in the interests of PC which irks me a lot.....

 

As far as I'm concerned 'Chairman' is fine. If you want to be PC about such crap, you could argue that 'man' is a contraction of 'human', which invalidates all the feminist preciousness as well.

 

'Chair' is unacceptable on the grounds of accuracy, other forms are simply so cumbersome they highlight the absurdity.

 

 

 

 

I believe that I occupy the middle ground so far as the PC debate goes. Much of the criticism of it in here comes inevitably from the male, straight (please come out and correct me if I am wrong), white (ditto) perspective with its attendant biases. Have a look at it from the other side. You may think it 'crap', by that I imagine you mean that it is wholly unreasonable for a woman to object to being called (a)man, but imagine the young father who stays at home and looks after children being told that he has to call himself housewife on the occupation section of official forms. Or a man who takes a job in a school kitchen and is told that he will be known as a dinner lady just like the rest of his colleagues? And any objection waved away as PC nonsense’.

 

So far as cumbersome goes, I can remember pre PC times, when we had ‘women’ privates (and all the other ranks) in the army, now they are a much more streamlined, Pte, Cpl, Capt etc. We had firemen and firewomen, thankfully giving way to simply Firefighter. .

In a related way, why do so many people when introducing or referring to men who hair dress, nurse or model feel that they have to prefix those occupations with male even when it may be clear, or are clearly presenting as such?

Edited January 8, 2010 by Emma two

[Peter Sharpe]

I always thought that being politically correct meant that you were in the queue to dance on Thatcher's grave.

[Alan Stubbs]

I believe that I occupy the middle ground so far as the PC debate goes. Much of the criticism of it in here comes inevitably from the male, straight (please come out and correct me if I am wrong), white (ditto) perspective with its attendant biases. Have a look at it from the other side. You may think it 'crap', by that I imagine you mean that it is wholly unreasonable for a woman to object to being called (a)man

 

hi Emma, nice to see you posting again. I hope your family are getting back sorted after the floods.

 

In fairness, I simply get irritated at the triviality of those who, irrespective of gender, make a fuss of it. The terminology was in place long before the nay-sayers were.