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Alternatively, there’s a theory of change at play here that follows a relatively long path of inquiry through politics, sociology, and neuroscience to identify
by roughly 4y ago
Alternatively, there’s a theory of change at play here that follows a relatively long path of inquiry through politics, sociology, and neuroscience to identify in-group/out-group dynamics and mental shortcuts as central blockers to attempts to increase cross-group empathy and drive social change.
- stillkicking 4y agoEven if that were true, I'd still not put any faith in the empathy skills of people who use e.g. "incel" as a slur, who claim "it's okay to be white" is hate speech and who call arson, vandalism and looting "mostly peaceful protests" because the in-group did it.
- roughly 4y agoSo long as you're not reducing entire groups into caricatures of themselves, it's probably fine.
- stillkicking 4y agoIt's not a caricature if it's taught at supposedly elite institutions of education, into which admission is contingent on a declaration of adherence to said ways of thinking.
- pwinnski 4y agoThis is three gross mischaracterizations in one!
- scarmig 4y agoI don't dispute that there's a theory of change here: "if we explore the linguistic landscape, we can discover a set of signifiers that will help us to destroy racism/sexism/etc." I just reject that. We don't live in a Harry Potter book where the correct series of incantations affect the material world.
- roughly 4y agoThat's not the theory of change at play here. You're rejecting a straw man. As to the rest of it: "Officer, arrest that man" is a series of incantations that affect the material world.
- scarmig 4y agoI can say that right now, and nothing happens. The words aren't the causal elements here changing the world; it's the referants and power hierarchies that do. The proper analogy would be thinking that requiring saying "Officer, detain-in-an-official-capacity that man!" instead would somehow fix police violence.
- roughly 4y ago> I can say that right now, and nothing happens. The words aren't the causal elements here changing the world; it's the referants and power hierarchies that do. And you think this is something that’s not understood among those pushing for linguistics changes?
- jimbokun 4y agoI think that. I think those people distract and soothe themselves from their inability to enact change with linguistic games.