U4 Flashcards
Doublespeak
what
- veil unpleasant, unwanted, undesirable, unpalatable msgs
- perception user is expert
- discourages questions/critique
- creates confusion/uncertainty
- hides truth, complicates meaning
- promotes blind acceptance/obedience
- manipulates through ambiguity
doublespeak
quotes etc
“doublespeak is dishonest and dangerous” (Burnside et al)
-Rio Tinto 2022 Climate Change report (released Jan 2023)
Dom specific complex NPs -> sophistication
“resillient portfolio”
“energy transmission”
Fine print “such forward looking statements are based on numeroud assumptions”
Jargon
quotes etc
“not exclusivity, it is precision” (Fry)
Agriculture/cropping
- broadacre
- bioturbation
- broadcast seeding
euphemism
what
- polite/vague/indirect (particularly used when refering to taboo topics)
- shows respect/social sensitivity/acknowledges contextual factors eg large SD or unequal status
- softens harsh realities
euphemism
quotes etc
“euphemisms are linguistic deodorisers” (Burridge)
- Aug 2023 Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas -> “sentinel events” in response to unneccesary child deaths/softens taboo topic/reduces discomfort
- shell shock > battle fatigue > operational exhaustion > post traumatic stress disorder > PTSD (more syllables > increased pallatable/softens)
PC lang
what
- reflects a tolerant, egalitarian, humanitarian society that embraces, accepts, recognises + validates all
- reflects contemp. beliefs abt anti-discrim, inclusion, sensitivity
- used in contexts of greater SD to uphold societal views + expectations
- uphold -ve face bc respect autonomy + individuality
Jargon
what
- specialised lexis
- professional + knowledgeable ID
- efficient, economical, precise, crutial
- fulfils the communication needs of a group > builds group ID
- mark group boundaries, creating an impenetrable wall excluding others
- reflects domain, register, context, tenor
PC lang
quotes etc
“a healthy expansion of moral concern” (Chomsky)
- People with Disabilities Australia
“autistic person” vs “person w autism”
(person first > encompasses all + shows that autism does not define them)
“suffering from depression” vs “living w depression”
(suffering = -ve denotations/living = +ve, links to shared experiences)
- xe/xem, they/them (encompasses all)
dysphemisms
what
- lang that challenges expected social norms of politeness
- deliberately employed to break soc conventions/for humour
dysphemism
quotes etc
“dysphemisms serve to vent strong emotion” (Fromkin et al)
- “cunt” reclaimed, particularly for feminists/believe that if reappropriated by targets, the force is made blunt
- June 2023 Lidia Thorpe tells Pauline Hansen to fuck off in Parliament
discriminatory lang
what
- lang that repeatedly silences, trivialises, overlooks ppls experiences, marginalises, stereotypes, typecasts, belittles, demeans
- can have significant ramifications on the affected individual which are often overlooked
- reinforces a dichotomy of us and them
- erroneous assumption of superiority
discriminatory lang
quotes etc
“reinforcing the subjugation of people already in a weak or vulnerable position in society” (Hamilton)
Racist lang in AFL (July 2022)
- Michael Frederick DM “you stupid black n-gga slave piece of shit”
- Michael Walters (Noongar man) “black abo dog”
> Melb FC labelling as ‘disgusting behaviour’ (signal support + commitment to erradicate racism)
- Similar March 2023 Ugle-Hagan labelled as a c-on
