"So let me get this straight. You are saying that a university curriculum gives legitimacy to the word?"
No, I'm not saying that. I'm saying it's difficult to talk about the field without using its name. If I wanted people to stop legitimising the concept of race, which I do (I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I avoid the use of the word…
"So let me get this straight. You are saying that a university curriculum gives legitimacy to the word?"
No, I'm not saying that. I'm saying it's difficult to talk about the field without using its name. If I wanted people to stop legitimising the concept of race, which I do (I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I avoid the use of the word "race" whenever possible, and stick it in scare quotes whenever I need to use it), I'd still have to accept the fact that Critical Race Theory is the name of a significant field of study that is responsible for a number of the ideas we're grappling with today. Same for things like "whiteness studies."
This isn't a university curriculum. It is, as you yourself say, a branch of critical theory that comes out of postmodernism, as most "critical theory" does. I think it's not only stupid but dangerous. That doesn't change the fact that it exists and it will inevitably be necessary to talk about it from time to time.
I've made the effort not to mention it by name at all throughout this comment, but it's cumbersome to say the least. I don't think it's a reasonable expectation for everybody who might come here to discuss the topic. I'm more than happy to ask people not to use the word as a slur. As I am with all slurs. I'm also happy to ask people not to refer to people using the word even when not used as a slur. But the academic theory only has one name. What do you suggest?
"The Study of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity" works for me. So it's a few more words, that's preferable to enshrining a vicious slur.
"Race" has never been a slur that I know of.
"Theory" in science means more like "proof" in the vernacular; *atoms* are a "theory." QT is not even at the level of hypothesis and is undeserving of "theory." I'd wager the same is true of CRT.
""The Study of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity" works for me. So it's a few more words, that's preferable to enshrining a vicious slur."
Chris, I sincerely hope you can understand why I'm not going to ask everybody who wants to refer to this established field of study to substitute its name for this. It's not that I'm unsympathetic to your point. I am. But there's no such thing as Ni**er theory. And if there were, I'm as sure as I can be that I wouldn't try to prohibit reference to it. As long as the reference was to the field of study and not to people.
If anybody ever uses that word as a slur here, I'll come down on them like a ton of bricks. In fact, I'll probably just revoke their commenting privileges permanently. If it slips under my radar, please feel free to point it out to me. But I don't think anybody benefits if this turns into a place where intent and context don't matter.
I'm not asking you to enforce anything in referring to that foppish faux-academic bullshit, and I doubt it will ever come up. But I hope you understand why I see it as equivalent to "Ni66er Theory."
Because it is.
The assertion that the word has been "reclaimed" is bullshit. It is as I said; just another extension into offending the "str8s." Except it backfired and now a lot of gay people and hangers-on like the crossdressers and the gender cosplayers are stupidly calling themselves defectives.
Count me out.
And while we're at it, count me out of
* "they" for one person
* target and impact as verbs
* invite and ask as nouns
* unique to mean unusual
* reach out to mean contact or email (verbs)
* moving forward to mean proceed
* share to mean say
And all the rest I can't think of right now because I almost went into a coma this morning
"So let me get this straight. You are saying that a university curriculum gives legitimacy to the word?"
No, I'm not saying that. I'm saying it's difficult to talk about the field without using its name. If I wanted people to stop legitimising the concept of race, which I do (I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I avoid the use of the word "race" whenever possible, and stick it in scare quotes whenever I need to use it), I'd still have to accept the fact that Critical Race Theory is the name of a significant field of study that is responsible for a number of the ideas we're grappling with today. Same for things like "whiteness studies."
This isn't a university curriculum. It is, as you yourself say, a branch of critical theory that comes out of postmodernism, as most "critical theory" does. I think it's not only stupid but dangerous. That doesn't change the fact that it exists and it will inevitably be necessary to talk about it from time to time.
I've made the effort not to mention it by name at all throughout this comment, but it's cumbersome to say the least. I don't think it's a reasonable expectation for everybody who might come here to discuss the topic. I'm more than happy to ask people not to use the word as a slur. As I am with all slurs. I'm also happy to ask people not to refer to people using the word even when not used as a slur. But the academic theory only has one name. What do you suggest?
"The Study of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity" works for me. So it's a few more words, that's preferable to enshrining a vicious slur.
"Race" has never been a slur that I know of.
"Theory" in science means more like "proof" in the vernacular; *atoms* are a "theory." QT is not even at the level of hypothesis and is undeserving of "theory." I'd wager the same is true of CRT.
These are fields of study, not theories.
""The Study of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity" works for me. So it's a few more words, that's preferable to enshrining a vicious slur."
Chris, I sincerely hope you can understand why I'm not going to ask everybody who wants to refer to this established field of study to substitute its name for this. It's not that I'm unsympathetic to your point. I am. But there's no such thing as Ni**er theory. And if there were, I'm as sure as I can be that I wouldn't try to prohibit reference to it. As long as the reference was to the field of study and not to people.
If anybody ever uses that word as a slur here, I'll come down on them like a ton of bricks. In fact, I'll probably just revoke their commenting privileges permanently. If it slips under my radar, please feel free to point it out to me. But I don't think anybody benefits if this turns into a place where intent and context don't matter.
I'm not asking you to enforce anything in referring to that foppish faux-academic bullshit, and I doubt it will ever come up. But I hope you understand why I see it as equivalent to "Ni66er Theory."
Because it is.
The assertion that the word has been "reclaimed" is bullshit. It is as I said; just another extension into offending the "str8s." Except it backfired and now a lot of gay people and hangers-on like the crossdressers and the gender cosplayers are stupidly calling themselves defectives.
Count me out.
And while we're at it, count me out of
* "they" for one person
* target and impact as verbs
* invite and ask as nouns
* unique to mean unusual
* reach out to mean contact or email (verbs)
* moving forward to mean proceed
* share to mean say
And all the rest I can't think of right now because I almost went into a coma this morning