Culturally Sensitive

I am interested that whoever thought of this page did not define it.

In England, particularly in a big city such as Birmingham, where I live and work, there is a tremendous diversity of personal culture and background. Some of these cultures are, in general, more sensitive to these differences than others.

In this context, the term PoliticallyCorrect has achieved two meanings.

One is to reflect a sensitivity. That is, to try to avoid terms and usages which are offensive in someone else's culture. When taken seriously, this becomes very difficult.

In some cultures, it is considered tedious and unnecessary to be sensitive to others. In those cultures, PoliticallyCorrect becomes a TermOfAbuse, used to ridicule someone else.

"In the computing context, I cross over between the UnixCulture and TheNotUnixCulture. I find this both fascinating and frustrating." Since I wrote the quoted text on TheNotUnixCulture, the page was used to discuss the relative merits of Irix and Linux!! Discussion of this general issue moved to WhatIsaReferent. -- JohnFletcher

One is to reflect a sensitivity. That is, to try to avoid terms and usages which are offensive in someone else's culture.

Only this implies that you don't believe what you say. If you were CulturallySensitive (not just PoliticallyCorrect), not insulting other people would be natural. In the way that not stabbing yourself with a red hot poker is natural. You don't have to learn not to do that.

Even the natural things had to be learnt once. I have learnt this as a father watching my son over the last few years. (He is 7 now) I did believe words were not so important. Then others said my words hurt them, in my thoughtlessness. So I think now that by avoiding terms I find natural, but others find hurtful, I can change what is natural for me, to be less hurtful. -- JohnFletcher

I object to your use of the term natural. It implies that the rest of us are somehow not natural. -- DominicCronin

My point was that children aren't born hating each other over superficial concerns. They have to be taught. That burns me, too, having grown up where I did. You'd hear the "arguments" taught by grandparents, parents and uncles and wonder why these kids believed them.

Children are born completely loving and trusting. They are totally dependent. They have to be taught bad patterns.

On the contrary - children are born completely selfish and have to learn that other people deserve respect. -- DaveHarris

OTOH, children rarely display bigotry on their own. They may be savages, but they're multicultural savages. -- Pete Hardie

Cultural Sensitivity just means not assuming everyone will know English. After you have that down, the rest is natural.