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The reasoning postulated by proponents for using politically correct terminology is to bring peoples' unconscious biases into awareness, allowing them to make a more informed choice about their language and making them aware of things different people might find offensive. Two common examples of this practice are to use the word disabled in preference to crippled, and mentally ill in preference to crazy. However, the new terms are often awkward, euphemistic substitutes for the original stark language concerning differences such as race, gender, sexual orientation and disability, religion and political views.
In scientific study, the idea that language influences thought, and therefore that the words that are used to describe people have influence (the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis) was first developed (independently of one another) by Edward Sapir and Benjamin WhorfBenjamin Lee Whorf ( April 24, 1897 July 26, 1941) was an American linguist. Born in Winthrop, Massachusetts the son of Harry and Sarah (Lee) Whorf, Benjamin Lee Whorf graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1918 with a degree in chemi. This work remains controversial, and debate is heated. In its strong form, the hypothesis states that, for example, sexist language promotes sexist thought.
The stated purpose of political correctness is twofold: to remove language offensive to many and to include all members of society by treating them equally. The first meaning is exemplified by usage of politically correct terms such as African-American in the place of black, Negro or colored. However, the choice of racial or ethnic nomenclature can depend on the individual, as well as location and time period. For example, in the United StatesThe United States of America also referred to as the United States U. America ¹ or the States is a federal republic in central North America, stretching from the Atlantic in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west. It shares land borders with Canada in people of both CaucasianCaucasian is originally a geographical term, meaning relative or pertaining to the Caucasus region of eastern Europe. It has in time acquired other specific meanings: in linguistics, the Caucasian languages are a large number of languages spoken in the Ca and AfricaAfrica is the world's second-largest continent in both area and population, after Asia. 30,244,050 km2 (11,677,240 mi2) including the islands, it covers 20. 3% of the total land area on Earth, and with over 800 million human inhabitants it accounts for arn descent often use the term black, while the term niggerThe term nigger can refer to: Nigger a derogatory term for dark-skinned people of African descent The Nigger a 1909 play by Edward Sheldon exploring black-white relationships Nigger the name of the Labrador owned by Guy Gibson, and shown in the film The D is almost always considered racist and offensive when used by non-blacks. Many young African-Americans use the term freely among themselves but view it as derogatory if used by people of other races.
Political correctness may also be exhibited by the refusal to discuss particular traits of an ethnic or religious minority. For instance, it may not be politically correct to point out that a particular community has crime rates above those of the general population or to publicly suggest that cultural traits of that community may have led to such a situation.
The idea of political correctness also applies to the political and diplomatic arenas. For example, when making references to the Greater China region, politically neutral terms like "places" or "regions" are used. In Chinese, the term "Two Coasts (of the Taiwan Strait), three places (兩岸三地)" is used to describe the region that consists of Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. When referring to the relation between the Mainland Chinese and Taiwanese government, the term "cross-strait relation" is used. All of these politically correct terminologies avoid implying whether Taiwan is a part of China or it is a separate country, therefore avoiding offending both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
The label politically correct is itself used by conservatives in a pejorative sense to label many left-wing projects and ideas.
A rule of thumb for determining whether a term may be considered politically incorrect is to question whether one is identifying the individual by an uncontrollable attribute, rather than on his or her unique accomplishments. For example, calling Stevie Wonder a blind black man could be said to imply that his handicap and race are more important than his significant musical influence on Motown and Soul.
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