what's wrong with being pc?

Kyburz at asu.edu Kyburz at asu.edu
Wed Oct 30 15:49:50 CST 1996


On Wed, 30 Oct 1996, Henry M wrote:

> PC is OK when it's honest, invites dialogue, and is applied fairly. 
> PC=Liberal. For some of us, the only problem with the L word is that 
> the only R word anymore seems to be "Reactionary." 
> Whatever happened to Radical, anyhow... As in going to the root 
> cause. The only "radical" politicians in the news are the "Radical 
> Right."
> Oh, well...
> 
> Permit me a brief anecdote:
> 
> An anthropologist friend of my ex used to preach cultural relativism. 
> "After all, who are we to dictate behaviour to other cultures?" 
> And yet, she is a feminist, in a hurry to radically change our American 
> culture from it's traditionally sexist behavior. Am I missing 
> something here? When is a culture not a culture?

Well, simply, "radically change" does not necessarily mean "overthrow 
and install new [feminist] regime."  Cultural relativism--didn't know it 
was a "term."  How about Nigerian practices of female gential mutilation 
(until properly married, whereupon sex is a NIGHTMARE)?  Can we "dictate" 
this behavior?  Or might we find other means of intervention?  As a human 
being, I suggest we can.  So--a "culture," as in the patriarchal Nigerian 
folk, is experiencing a particular kind of order desparately in need of 
some bifurcating event.  \

Feminists are rarely, IMO, "in a hurry," as most understand the "long 
haul" nature of changing patriarchal culture(s).  Look at how Pychon 
addresses the matter through the character V.--takes centuries and even 
then. . . .


> 
> On 30 Oct 96 at 11:18, Kyburz at asu.edu wrote:
> 
> > Date:          Wed, 30 Oct 1996 11:18:55 -0700 (MST)
> > From:          Kyburz at asu.edu
> > Subject:       Re: Re[2]: what's wrong with being pc?
> > To:            LBernier at tribune.com
> > Cc:            pynchon-l at waste.org
> 
> > Far too simplistic a reading of multiculturalism, which suggests not
> > simply *lip service* and, simply, assuming the moniker, only, of
> > "color blind," but seeks to explore and problematize the sources or
> > racism,sexism, whatever, the assumptions that guide it vs. our lived
> > experiences.  It is contextualized, problematic.  Much  more
> > complex.  And there's a hell of a lot more written on it that one
> > article in Harper's.  See Trimbur & Bullock's THE POLITICS OF
> > WRITING INSTRUCTION: POSTSECONDARY, or Henry Giroux (anything) or
> > bell hooks.  Lisa Delprit has a wonderful piece on the desires of
> > marginalized groups to learn *skills* that will get them jobs, as
> > opposed to exploring diversity, which will help them to think--and,
> > by extension, hopefully, to lead productive lives within contexts
> > that would have them view those lives uncritically.
> > 
> > So many teachers I know are willing to refer to mc as pc, avoiding
> > the real dynamic exchanges that take place when mc is conceived of
> > as highly complex and worthy of investigation both as heuristic and
> > as critical thinking -- even as the lesson itself.
> > 
> > as for not allowing minority groups to "participate in a power
> > structure," they have to understand their positions vis-a-vis power
> > structures in order to get some.  This calls for examining minority
> > lives in real context, often ugly, not "pc."  
> > 
> > and money?  I won't go there, given this forum, but I will add that
> > the "incorporation" argument is a bit reductive, as well.
> > 
> > Jean, I usually like what you have to say and recognize that you may
> > simply be attempting to characterize the debates.  I simply can't
> > take these reductions lightly anymore, and so am resonding,
> > similarly, to a larger, global set of concerns.
> > 
> > 
> > Forgive me, but the retrogressive epistemologies of old keep wafting
> > back into vogue.
> > 
> > Bonnie L. Kyburz (sig below)
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > On Wed, 30 Oct 1996 LBernier at tribune.com wrote:
> > 
> > >      Diana, there are those who claim that PC-ness, as defined by
> > >      those who would treat ethnic groups with kid gloves (i.e.,
> > >      always using the nom-du-maintenant when referring to said
> > >      ethnic group, "sympathising" with their plight, etc.) is
> > >      condescending, priggish, and generally racist, but oh so
> > >      subtle.  The idea being that, in a perfect world, you plain
> > >      wouldn't notice any difference, but would treat everyone the
> > >      same, black, white, purple, whateber.  
> > >      
> > >      There is also the idea that multi-culturalism can be used to
> > >      isolate and marginalize groups, by relegating them to some
> > >      minority slot, and not allowing them to participate fully in
> > >      the power structure.  There was an interesting article in
> > >      Harper's a couple of years ago that pointed out the corporate
> > >      cash-in aspect of multiculturalism as well.  Sorry, I don't
> > >      remember the issue.
> > >      
> > >      Jean.
> > >      
> > >      
> > >      
> > > 
> > > ______________________________ Reply Separator
> > > _________________________________ Subject: Re: what's wrong with
> > > being pc? Author:  Diana York Blaine <dyb0001 at jove.acs.unt.edu> at
> > > Internet_tco Date:    10/30/96 8:46 AM
> > > 
> > > 
> > > um, ted, did I miss something?  "Lady" bosses who are stupid?  I
> > > was asking about political correctness and how it's ethnocentric. 
> > > Since we are in America and I believed in the pap about equality,
> > > I am just surprised that so many people take umbrage anytime some
> > > marginalized group points out that it aint coming their way. 
> > > Sorry for your troubles!  Diana
> > >      
> > > 
> > 
> > Bonnie L. Kyburz, Instructor
> > Department of English			(602) 965-7756 (office)
> > Arizona State University		kyburz at asu.edu
> > Tempe, AZ  85287-0302			*or* surfus at chuma.cas.usf.edu
> > 
> > 
> 
> Keep Cool, but care. -- TRP
> http://www.nicom.com/~gravity
> 

Bonnie L. Kyburz, Instructor
Department of English			(602) 965-7756 (office)
Arizona State University		kyburz at asu.edu
Tempe, AZ  85287-0302			*or* surfus at chuma.cas.usf.edu




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