Language and Discrimination

Language has long been recognized as playing a critical and complex role in relation to discrimination. This is because, on one hand, language can actively reinforce deeply entrenched stereotypes and discriminatory assumptions, or, on the other, it can play a vital part in challenging and seeking to eliminate them. Unfortunately, the crucial issues at stake have been profoundly oversimplified by the notion of ‘political correctness,’ which has created a great deal of damaging confusion. This essential course is designed to expertly dispel all that confusion by clarifying the true, nuanced relationship between language and discrimination.

An oversimplified approach that merely seeks to ban the use of certain words has contributed to many people dismissing important, ethical issues as "political correctness gone mad". This is a significant problem because it means that some perfectly unproblematic forms of language are often wrongly disapproved of, while simultaneously, genuinely discriminatory language goes completely unchallenged. In addition, many people avoid the entire subject because they are paralyzed by the fear of being criticized for saying something deemed racist, sexist, or otherwise unacceptable. Dr. Neil Thompson, who has written and taught extensively about equality, diversity, inclusion, and the imperative to address discrimination, brings his long-standing expertise to this critical topic. His many years of experience have taught him that confusions and oversimplifications about the role of language in discrimination are not only very common but also do a lot of unnecessary harm to constructive dialogue. Master the complexity of inclusive language and become a confident agent of positive, ethical change.