The "D" Word: As a college student, I commonly referred to where I lived as my "D-O-R-M" and now I have learned to erase that word from my vocabulary. The word that has taken its place is the much more proper, "Residence Hall". While I understand the reasoning behind the switch, I cannot help but wonder if this really has any effect on the students.
Check out this explanation from Vladosta State University http://services.valdosta.edu/housing/Dormvs.ResidenceHall.aspx
While I understand the explanation -- I question the research, or lack thereof...
I wonder if we get too caught up in the "political correctness" of words and lose sight of the bigger picture -- does this really affect our students... because that is what we are here for...right?
Ha ha! This post is funny because it true about reframing words in higher education. It may seem like insignificant, but I do think that some words and phrasing hold a lot of power and meaning. I think about some of the ways I have approached students in the past and how choosing different words to relay essentially the same message has made a big difference in the reaction/response of the student. I think there are many words that hold loaded connotations, imply particular things, or evoke certain feelings. It seems that many of the new words in higher ed specifically are looking to be more inclusive or open to less-traditional students. For example, students from other countries are now “international students” rather than “foreign exchange students” since the word foreign can be seen as negative, or the term “first-years” was coined as a way to include the growing number of non-traditional students in their first year of college. It’s similar to the appropriate ways to address people with disabilities. It is encouraged to refer to someone as the person with autism rather than the autistic person because it’s important to recognize the individual as a person first and their disability second. Sometimes it might seem like a formality, but I do think language has a way to affect the way people think and view the world.
ReplyDeleteI do find the particular need to use only certain vocab words to be interesting. Personally, I think if I were to call someone a freshman accidentally instead of a first year- I don't think it would be a detrimental impact on them. Plus, Brooke, I believe you mentioned that now, we are moving away from international students, to another new, even more politically correct word, right? Surely, certain occasions call for being more politically correct- but sometimes it is just overdone and unnecessary.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of you and the usage of certain words is something I struggle with; for now, I think my answer is 'finding a balance'. There are some words that I definitely understand needed to be tweaked and then there are some concepts that may be taking it too far. Sometimes I choose just not to say something out of fear of being politically incorrect. The discourse then results in people just skirting around the issue. That being said, I think our words will continue to evolve with different perspectives on issues -- I just hope the issues are still at the focus and the solution is not merely changing a phrase. For instance, as Nicole mentioned the new word for “international” is transitioning to “global” and I see the reasoning -- I just hope creating a globally-minded society takes precedence over teaching everyone to switch their vocabulary.
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