Political Correctness (I)

Pedro Caeiro, no excelente Mar Salgado aflorou já a problemática do politicamente correcto, nomeadamente acerca de um editorial sobre o caso francês. Isto levou-me a investigar um pouco as origens do termo e a deturpação e má utilização que tem vindo a ser feita acerca do tema. Eis um aperitivo:

Perhaps the most pervasive impact of political correctness on American culture came with regard to language. In an effort to show no disrespect for anyone, promoters of political correctness largely succeeded in reducing the number of offensive or inaccurate names used to refer to people. For example, descendants of historically oppressed groups are now called "Native Americans" instead of "Indians" and "African Americans" instead of "blacks." (...) Euphemistic language emerged (...) Examples include using the term "sanitation engineer" instead of garbage man, and "firefighter" instead of fireman. The mentally retarded or physically handicapped became "challenged." It also became politically correct behavior to recycle, to oppose wearing fur, and to accept homosexuality as an "alternative lifestyle." Though such language became the source of frequent jokes--short people became known as "vertically challenged," for example--its impact was far reaching.

In St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, 2002 Gale Group, retirado daqui.

Para diferentes opiniões, artigos e papers sobre o tema ver, por exemplo, aqui.