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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