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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Not totally related to feminism but a fascinating example of academic wokery

63 replies

Doyoumind · 22/12/2019 09:02

I came across this on Twitter and it really makes you wonder where the woke changes to language are going to take us next.

twitter.com/BMatB/status/1207554144174854144?s=09

OP posts:
BluebonicPlague · 31/12/2019 21:49

Well, I'd be interested in the sex ratio of the PhD students of those supervisors who took such delight in dissing him.

He's making a fair point in using language to explore attitudes. Nice that he quotes that Jim Al-Khalili interview with Jocelyn Bell Burnell (who is a hero of mine). Note that his discipline is STEM. Yes, he's making too much of it, and in focusing on language he's maybe focusing on the wrong thing. It's the patronising attitude that is concerning, not the language that might sometimes betray it. Or sometimes mean nothing more than saying 'my seminar group', which you might say whether you were a student or a professor.

The fact that he worries about it at all probably means that he personally doesn't need to worry about his language so much. The supervisors on his twitter feed - well, their complacency is another story.

BluebonicPlague · 31/12/2019 21:57

Aargh, posted too soon!

No one who knows me would suspect me of wokery. I care about language though - and I think what is happening here is that a decent person is tying himself in knots because he feels obliged to use the rhetoric of wokery to explore an age-old potentially exploitative relationship of genuine concern. And oddly enough, the language of wokery and its current vogue (and no doubt his desire to be DWTK) is helping him.

Goosefoot · 31/12/2019 23:49

If he was just exploring the idea he'd be looking at his own behaviour and attitudes, and concrete things like how he actually treats people, pays them, etc.

This business of telling everyone else they need to change how they speak generally comes from a quite different impulse.

Catsrus · 31/12/2019 23:58

This business of telling everyone else they need to change how they speak generally comes from a quite different impulse.*

Indeed it does Hmm

JanesKettle · 01/01/2020 00:01

The thing that bugs me about this is that changing the language doesn't change problems with power relations.It's dealing with symptom not cause.

Calling my boss 'the person who employs me' does not functionally change anything about the power relationship between my boss and I.

In academia, there is blatant sexism that is more important that this angels on pin stuff. Calling your student 'the student in my group' doesn't stop you harassing them.

BluebonicPlague · 01/01/2020 01:36

Goosefoot
If he was just exploring the idea he'd be looking at his own behaviour and attitudes, and concrete things like how he actually treats people, pays them, etc.

Yes, absolutely he would, in the normal world we've probably left far behind. Wokery - and that's the point of its obsession with language control - tells him that this is the way to deal with it.

This business of telling everyone else they need to change how they speak generally comes from a quite different impulse.

When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. I submit that the professor is doing what he thinks is right because he's learned that this is the way people are supposed to look at problems these days. It's wrong; it's bonkers because it's tail wagging dog.

I'm not defending his analysis, I'm just not willing to say his language-policing is coming from bad motives or is deliberately obfuscatory. He's a follower of fashion. He doesn't work in the Humanities so he's an amateur at this, just trying to do the right thing by copying. He is pointing to something that's wrong, without recognising that changing the label doesn't change much. He's probably quite proud of himself for discovering a new application of a rule.

One of the things about adherents of wokery is their almost religious belief in the power of words and speech acts. Just say something, and you can make it so! Literally. Wink

PreseaCombatir · 01/01/2020 13:43

I don’t understand the problem with saying ‘my staff’
Surely ‘the staff’ sounds worse?

Goosefoot · 01/01/2020 16:15

BluebonicPlague

Yes, you are right of course and that is very fair-minded of you. It seems that many people have picked up this way of thinking and behaving because they see it is what is going on around them.

wilco77 · 03/01/2020 21:03

The "nagging thought" that "we" need to be better in our language from the Tweet, is perhaps unintentionally, an example of bias and power dynamics. Dr Britton used his privileged position to frame the argument from his perspective and speak on behalf of others. This is a reason why it got many people across the world so annoyed.

Goosefoot · 03/01/2020 23:19

It's like "know better, do better" something about it just drives you up the wall.

NeurotrashWarrior · 04/01/2020 08:25

"Fix it"

I find that quite chilling. While trying to explain why no one belongs to anyone he's making a despot like demand.

NeurotrashWarrior · 04/01/2020 08:27

In academia though there's a cognitive connection or relationship hence why "my" tutor / student works.

People reflect on their past students with pride and vice versa (mostly) as it's all part of the intellectual research team effort.

NeurotrashWarrior · 04/01/2020 08:28

I say "my colleagues." My TA etc.

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