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Which Theory of Communication Is “Political Correctness”?

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Which Theory of Communication Is “Political Correctness”? -RXUQDORI(GXFDWLRQ&XOWXUHDQG6RFLHW\1RB DOI: 10.15503/jecs20162.53.74 Which theory of communication is “political correctness”? Michael Nnamdi Konye .DWROLFNL8QLZHUV\WHW/XEHOVNL-DQD3DZOD,, $OHMH5DFãDZLFNLH/XEOLQ E-mail address: NQDPGL#JPDLOFRP Abstract 7KHSDSHUIRFXVHVRQÅSROLWLFDOFRUUHFWQHVVµZKLFKKDVEHFRPHDODWHWKFHQWXU\ FDWFKSKUDVHLQ:HVWHUQ(XURSHDQDQG1RUWK$PHULFDQOLEHUDOGHPRFUDFLHVEXWDOVR KDVIRXQGFXUUHQF\LQWKHSROLWLFDOFOLPDWHRIWKH$VLDQDQG(DVWHUQFRXQWULHV$KLVWR- ULFDODQGPXOWLFXOWXUDOUHYLHZLVLQWHQGHGDVDQLQWURGXFWLRQWRDEURDGHUSKLORVRSKL- FDODQDO\VLVRIWKH0DU[LVWbackgroundsRISROLWLFDOFRUUHFWQHVVDQGLWVQHR0DU[LVW theoretical correctivesLQ-UJHQ+DEHUPDV·VWKHRU\RIFRPPXQLFDWLYHDFWLRQ0\DLP LVWRGUDZRXWERWKWKHHGXFDWLRQDODQGFXOWXUDOLPSOLFDWLRQVRIOD\LQJRXWWKHHWKRVRI FRQWHPSRUDU\GLVFRXUVHRQWKHIRXQGDWLRQVRIWKHHYROYLQJG\QDPLFVRIWKHUKHWRULF RISROLWLFDOFRUUHFWQHVV Key words: &XOWXUDO0DU[LVPHU%HZHJXQJN\ULDUFK\*XWPHQVFKSROLWLTX- HPHQWFRUUHFWH.RWREDJDUL$OODQ%ORRP0F&DUWK\LVP0DR=HGRQJ0D[+RUNKH- LPHU-UJHQ+DEHUPDV Introduction 7KHWKUXVWRIP\SDSHULVWDLORUHGWRZDUGVDSKLORVRSKLFDODQDO\VLVRIWKH HGXFDWLRQDODQGVRFLRFXOWXUDOimplicationsRIOD\LQJRXWWKHHWKRVRIFRQ- WHPSRUDU\FXOWXUHVRQWKHSDWWHUQRI¶SROLFLHV·DQGODZVLQÁXHQFHGE\SROLWL- FDOFRUUHFWQHVV7KHSDSHUDOVRDLPVDWFDOOLQJRXUDWWHQWLRQWRWKHchallenges RIFRSLQJZLWKWKHFRQWHPSRUDU\SOXUDOLVPRILQWHUHVWVZKLFKFKDUDFWHUL]H YDULRXVHWKLFRSROLWLFDOVWUDQGVRIWKHrhetoricRI´SROLWLFDOFRUUHFWQHVVµLQWKH VRFLRFXOWXUDODQGSROLWLFRHFRQRPLFGRPDLQVRIOLEHUDOGHPRFUDWLFVRFLHWLHV WRGD\ ,QLWVRXWOD\WKLVDUWLFOHZLOOSURYLGHDKLVWRULFDOEDFNJURXQGLQWHQGHG WRSURMHFW´SROLWLFDOFRUUHFWQHVVµDVWKHRUHWLFDOO\HPEHGGHGLQWKHFRPPX- QLFDWLYHVNLOOVRIWKHDQFLHQWVRSKLVWV:LWKRXWSUHMXGLFHWRWKLVDQFLHQWVRXU- FHV,LQWHQGWRDUJXHIRUWKHWKUHDGRIGHYHORSPHQWVRIWKLVSKHQRPHQRQ ZKLFKIRXQGLWVURRWVLQWKHQLQHWHHQWKDQGWZHQWLHWKFHQWXULHV0DU[LVWLGH- RORJLHV0DU[LVPDVWKHSDSHUSURSRVHVDFFRXQWVIRUWKHXQGHUO\LQJVRXUFHV DQGG\QDPLFVRIWKHQHZIDGRISXEOLFVSHHFKPDNLQJZKLFKFRQVLVWVLQWKH SHQFKDQWWREHSHUFHLYHGDVpolitically correct. 2IVLJQLÀFDQWLQWHUHVWIRUPH 7UDQVJUHVVLRQ KRZHYHULVWKHUHELUWKRIDWKHRUHWLFDODFFRPPRGDWLRQRIWKLVWUHQGRIVRFLDO FRPPXQLFDWLYHDFWLRQLQWKHQLQHWHHQWKFHQWXU\)UDQNIXUWFULWLFDOWKHRULVWV FXOPLQDWLQJLQLWVFRQWHPSRUDU\UHIRUPXODWLRQVE\-UJHQ+DEHUPDV·FUL - 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