Roads And Off-Roads Of Political Correctness (B-Learning Course)

Timetable

The course will be held on Wednesdays from 3 pm to 4:30 pm at the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism, Uniwersytersytetu Poznańskiego 5 Street, room 237.

Module aim (aims)

The subject of the course is the phenomenon of political correctness. It is understood as a set of opinions dominating a particular political community. According to these opinions, the range of expressions that are acceptable in public discourse is limited. Along with the development of PC – moral, social and legal norms of public debate are renegotiated and reformulated. Therefore PC can bring both chances, and threats, and in consequence benefits and losses - for the individual as well as for the society. It results from the fact that all restrictions of freedom of expression always remain controversial and can relieve as well as exacerbate conflicts of worldviews. The interpretation of these restrictions isn't unchangeable and can evolve both towards overindulgence, as well as excessive rigorism. The main purpose of the course is to expand students’ knowledge about contemporary sorts of political correctness. During it, students will become acquainted with different concepts of political correctness, its different forms current in social practices, regulations inspired by it, as well as with issues creating the context, in which political correctness is formed and influencing reality.

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

The course has a b-learning character: 50% (15h) of classes are held at the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism (students and lecturer are meeting together to discuss the subjects of the course and the works delivered by students on the Internet); 50% (15h) of classes are held on the moodle platform (students are fulfilling tasks and exercises on the Internet).

Syllabus

Subject 1 Political correctness and regulations inspired by it – introduction 2h

Subject 2 Regulations inspired by political correctness – critique 4h

Subject 3 Blasphemy and its combating 4h

Subject 4 Blasphemy from the perspective of “the clash of civilizations” 4h

Subject 5 Hate speech and its combating 4h

Subject 6 Religious expression versus the democratic secular state of law 4h

Subject 7 Political correctness versus negationists. History, memory, narratives about the past, “the clash of sensitivities” 4h

Subject 8 Freedom of expression, extreme speech and democratic functions of the media 4h

Reading list

1. Achebe Ch., An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness', https://yale.learningu.org/download/ae5ac277-5cc2-483a-9541-37aaef9a0e67/C2116_Chinua%20Achebe.pdf 

2. Allan K., Burridge K., Forbidden words. Taboo and the censoring of language, Cambridge 2007

3. Blasphemy, insult and hatred. Finding answers in a democratic society, Strasbourg 2010

4. Brasher J.W., Intimidation by Political Correctness: A Distinctively Democrat Phenomenon, Bloomington 2010

5. Butler J., Excitable Speech. A Politics of the Performative, New York-London 1997

6. Conrad J., Heart of Darkness, https://www.gutenberg.org/files/219/219-h/219-h.htm

7. Crawford R., Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGY6Uru3t-0&t=1s

8. Duignan P., Gann L. H., Political Correctness. A Critique, Stanford 1995

9. Friedman M., Narveson J., Political Correctness. For and Against, London 1995

10. Hare I., Weinstein J. (red.), Extreme speech and democracy, Oxford 2009

11. Hughes G., Political correctness. A history of semantics and culture, Malden 2010

12. Ngozi Adichie Ch., The danger of a single story, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg

13. Nguyen T., Political Correctness in the English Language, Norderstedt 2007

14. Weber A., Manual on hate speech, Strasbourg 2009