Legal Definitions - political correctness

Political Correctness (P.C.) refers to the practice or inclination to use language and engage in behaviors that are intended to avoid offending or disadvantaging members of particular groups in society, especially concerning issues of race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or religion.

It can also describe an instance where an individual or organization conforms to this principle, often by adjusting their communication or actions to be more inclusive and sensitive to diverse perspectives.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Workplace Communication Guidelines: A large technology company updates its internal style guide for all employee communications. The new guidelines recommend using gender-neutral language, such as "chairperson" instead of "chairman," and advise against using common idioms that might be perceived as culturally insensitive or exclusionary. For instance, instead of saying "let's get down to brass tacks," they might suggest "let's focus on the essentials."

  This demonstrates political correctness because the company is proactively adjusting its language policies to ensure that all employees feel respected and included, aiming to avoid any potential offense related to gender or cultural background.

• Public Event Planning: A city council is organizing its annual summer festival. In an effort to be politically correct, the organizers ensure that the food vendors represent a wide array of international cuisines, the musical acts span various genres and cultural origins, and all promotional materials feature diverse images of people from different ethnic backgrounds, ages, and physical abilities. They also make sure the venue is fully accessible for individuals with disabilities.

  This illustrates political correctness as the event planners are making deliberate choices to be inclusive and representative of the city's diverse population, consciously avoiding any impression of favoring one group over others and ensuring accessibility for all.

• Educational Curriculum Development: A university department is revising its history curriculum. To align with principles of political correctness, they decide to incorporate more perspectives from marginalized groups, such as indigenous peoples and women, into their core courses. They also review textbooks to remove any language or historical interpretations that might be considered biased or insensitive to these groups, ensuring a more balanced and inclusive narrative.

  This example shows political correctness in action as the university is intentionally broadening its educational content and scrutinizing its materials to ensure they are respectful, representative, and do not perpetuate stereotypes or exclusionary viewpoints regarding various social groups.