Business Word

Into the Looking Glass
Shifting Language Is a Reflection of Our Times

by Peter Zvalo

Fads and fashions of all kinds — whether in music, film, visual arts, clothing, or literature — come and go; but they all share one thing in common: they are a reflection of ourselves and the times in which we live. Currently in music, for example, industry experts predict that heavier sounds in rock will make a resurgence in 2002, and the fluffy, "feel-good" pop music of the past several years will become less prominent. The reason? Apparently, the current economic downturn, combined with the recent terrorist events and the subsequent war effort, will make us "want" to listen to harder, edgier sounds.

Our current focus on "homeland" security — some say to the detriment of hard-fought personal rights and freedoms — may have far-reaching and long-term implications on the language we use and the way in which we write. In more stable times, we allowed ourselves the luxury of political correctness, creating a neutral and equitable vocabulary reflective of an inclusive ideology. Our renewed focus on security and the bigger evils that threaten our way of life, namely terrorist acts and the potential for global war, could resurrect old prejudices and shift our focus away from the niceties of language to a harder, edgier linguistic reality, wrapped in the veil of security.

Attempts to "clean up" the English language in the 1980s and 1990s by eliminating words or phrases interpreted by some to be biased or insulting, and by replacing them with neutral alternatives, was a reflection of a society that nurtured the principles of gender and racial equality and a harmonious multi-ethnic culture. This was particularly evident in Canada, where "multiculturalism" became official government policy, and was entrenched through legislation and various government programs aimed at addressing the concerns of a culturally diverse population. An example of this policy that is particularly relevant to writers was the creation of government-issued guidelines to be applied when writing about certain groups of people: for example, "natives" became "Aboriginal peoples," and  "the disabled" became "persons with disabilities." More recently, "fishermen" have become "fishers" and "chairman" is now simply a "chair."

The shift away from political correctness may, in fact, have started even before the September attacks on New York and Washington. In the summer of 2001, a suggestion by a Canadian parliamentarian that the words "in all thy son’s command" of Canada’s national anthem be changed to either "in all of us command" or "in all of our command" was met with opposition by the majority of Canadians. In a poll, 77 percent of respondents said that changing the anthem was a "bad idea"; consequently, the idea died. It seems that when well-established traditions like the words to the national anthem are perceived to be threatened, Canadians would rather stay with the status quo.

As Canadians, we pride ourselves on our acceptance of peoples from around the world and on our desire for a just and equitable society. The terrorist attacks and the response of our government in the form of new "anti-terrorist" legislation threaten to curtail some of our treasured freedoms, including freedom of expression, and reinstate the culture of "otherness" that vilifies certain groups based on the actions of a few. Arab-Canadian groups have been vocal in their concern that they are being targeted by these new policies in an unfair and unjustified way. Linguistic messages are similarly promulgated by the media; it is difficult to retain our respect for differences when terms such as "Muslim," "Arab," and "Middle Eastern," are used interchangeably. How far are we from a reductive "us" and "them" mentality? Are we going to erase the neutral, inclusive language that has been so carefully crafted in recent years?

Writers and editors should be conscious of the realities of a new, insecure era — an era that, to a large degree, will be characterized by a war of words. While fear may drive some among us to fall back to the language used in darker chapters of our history, we may, in fact, witness a renewed sensitivity to the plight of minority groups and the language used to refer to them. As writers, it is our obligation to respect the hard-fought rights of women and men of all nationalities, races, and religions, and to write in an objective and unbiased tone, using language that is inclusive yet reflective of the difficult times in which we live.

Peter Zvalo is a Contributing Editor for Writer’s Block.