The Intent and the Impact: The Paradox of Political Correctness

What startles us to a new perception is a new way of presentation. Writers belonging to marginalized identities are highly sensitive to political correctness in both content and form. They believe that language shapes one’s perceptions and that using inclusive language can help reduce prejudice and promote equality. But, political correctness, the practice of using language, policies, or behaviours intended to avoid offending the disadvantaged groups, is often criticized for being taken to extremes, leading to what some perceive as absurd. Moreover, the politically correct terms keep changing all the time and are not easy to keep up with as they are time specific and culture sensitive.