Word choice

2) Write an essay explaining whether you believe that efforts to eliminate sexism, racism, and violence in language are effective, or whether such effort simply mask these issues.

    Words that are “politically correct” exists because people believe that those words have the ability to raise awareness and potentially change the problems of sexism, racism, and other social prejudices; however, by removing sexist or racists words don’t remove the social injustices that prevail around the words. It just simply isn’t possible to remove biases in individuals.
    In Michio Kakutani’s essay “The Word Police” she highlights that people are too crazy about what is right to say and what isn’t. She criticizes that society is so critical of “social” norms that the simple act of cultural differentiation is looked lowly upon. It has gotten to the point where one could get publicly shunned by a “word police.” Kakutani disapproves of such behavior for the duty of a police force is to protect and serve the community but the word “police” is a disservice to the society and make minorities vulnerable to a false sense of inclusion.
    Though Frank Luntz explains that the words that people (politicians) use are crucial to how people react, he doesn’t argue against Kakutani claim that certain politically correct words are “abused.” Luntz points out that certain words convey a negative connotation that effects the efficiency of political actions even though the idea and actions taken are the same. Politicians can’t say foreign trade because foreign has a negative image in Americans so international trade is necessary to use instead. Though this against “The Word Police,” Kakutani would be disappointed in the facts that Luntz has stated.
    Similar to Luntz, Steven Pinker depicts the power of words and how people understand words differently than other. Not only is that the case, an individual identifies her own series of words differently. This example is included in Pinker’s essay where the female character in the movie Tootsie wished that guys would be more upfront about their “sexual desires,” but when the event actually occurred, the lady did not look favorably upon the situation. Pinker illustrated this as universal human hypocrisy.
    This hypocrisy is also shown in the political cartoon on Native American Mascots. The irony in the piece illustrate that even though the entire committee is for the banning of native american culture, there is a member—who knows there should be another member as well— who chooses to be a hypocrite and have a Jeep Cherokee. This cartoon also support Kakutani’s argument as well for it mocks the fact that the removal of a unique culture is flawed and doesn’t create a more unified community. The removal of cultures is unethical on one hand but it is also impractical to eliminate the history, beliefs, and practices of an ethnic group. Ideas spread quickly and the different practices of cultures can’t be removed by the thought police or the “word police.”
    Although Luntz and Pinker agree that words should be carefully chosen, Kakutani reminds that being careful of words doesn’t mean that it is right to generalize people into a large group—removing the cultural differences that exist. Careful word choices doesn’t mean changing the language. Changing the language doesn't rid the world of problems.

What To Say

An anthropologist studying first-year students at a university in the United States writes that friendly phrases like "How are you?," "Nice to meet you," and "Let’s get in touch" communicate politeness rather than literal intent. What, if anything, is the value or function of such polite speech?
In a well-written essay, develop your position on the value or function of polite speech in a culture or community with which you are familiar. Use appropriate evidence from your reading, experience, or observations to support your argument. 

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Much like writing essays, every conversation needs a quick introduction that allows for a smooth transition into the meat of the conversation. Colloquial phrases of politeness are necessary for social beings to initiate conversation and show respect to their respective listener. In the modern society, the language people use everyday tends to shift just a little away from what the literal denotation of a word. Thus the carefully chosen expressions individuals say reveal the personality--amiability and amenability.

In some cases, perhaps even most cases, phrases like "How are you?," "Nice to meet you," and "Let’s get in touch" are use quite literally to get a response from the interlocutor, but it becomes evident that such phrases are used only as a polite introduction to a greater cause because very few conversations are truly based off "how your day has been." In all honestly probably only few really care; somewhere in the listeners mind, he hopes to hear the response "I'm good" and then move on with life.

Ever written an email to a friend, teacher, classmate, and or boss for favors or suggestions? What does the first sentence of the email look like: "Dear boss, how was your day been?" Is the anticipated email a detailed description of the rough day Big Boss has had: NO. As a matter of fact the boss may not even answer the question and hopefully get straight to the big issue at hand. The function of the polite question was solely to give the writer a place to start and a nice way to request something from another individual.


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