Political correctness in academia: many faces, meanings and consequences

One would be hard-pressed to define the term "political correctness" (PC) in a way to would satisfy all parties. Political correctness has many faces and, therefore, many meanings. Essentially, however, the term "political correctness" appears to refer to a way of thinking and a way of life in our society that espouses sensitivity, tolerance, and respect for another's race, gender, sexual preference, nationality, religion, age, physical handicap, or other characteristic, especially if it differs from one's own (Thalasinos & Hwang, no date). PC proponents argue that research on controversial topics should be restricted when it has the potential to hurt certain populations. These restrictions affect the funding and publication of research. They are seen by PC opponents as unwarranted because they are based on moral and political values, rather than grounded in research. PC opponents start with the premise that, in a free society, the burden rests with the "censors" to show that research on sensitive issues has a high likelihood of producing significant social harms. They maintain that research on sensitive issues is essential for developing well-informed public policy. PC proponents defend restrictions and support tougher peer review for research on sensitive topics by arguing that they are necessary to avoid hurting certain populations, and influencing public opinion and social policy adversely. They strongly believe that academics have a responsibility to be sensitive to how their research affects the way people feel about themselves and how others will feel about them, as well as to how their research may affect social policy. Political correctness has many faces and many meanings. More important than the question of "To be or not to be PC" may be how we articulate our values in the pursuit of knowledge and human relationships, and, then, how we demonstrate these values in our daily lives. In recent years, the ideology of PC has become an issue of great controversy, and those who are hurt by either discrimination or reverse discrimination are the most vocal. Sometimes, there is more heat than light. As psychologists, we need to become informed of the interpretations and the implications of the faces and meanings of political correctness. We need to have an open and honest discussion of the issues.