Acceptable Use of N-Word

[viper37]

Can we not have the n-word on the front page of a publicly accessible forum, please?

Thank you.

"Hi boss, just browsing the web on my break. Oh, what's that on my screen?

Oh, oh no."

We just discussing the inhabitants of Niger, you know, the n-people?
It's ok Sir, things are just a little different in English than in German, you know?  A simple misunderstanding, that's all.

[Valmy]

You what was weird? Being in 8th grade and reading Tom Sawyer and having the kids throwing around that word. It probably would have been nice if somebody had explained how that word was thought of then vs now or give me the context or something. Because without that it gets really confusing, like current acceptable uses of it.

But like gendered female insults I don't think it is really my place to use them. I have plenty of other ways to insult somebody.

[viper37]

You what was weird? Being in 8th grade and reading Tom Sawyer and having the kids throwing around that word. It probably would have been nice if somebody had explained how that word was thought of then vs now or give me the context or something. Because without that it gets really confusing, like current acceptable uses of it.

We didn't have Tom Sawyer to read in 8th grade.
By grade 11th-12th however, I read Agaguk, a story about an inuit man who kills and eat parts of an RCMP agent, among other things.  We were given the usual speech that this represented a vision of the past for this people.

But like gendered female insults I don't think it is really my place to use them. I have plenty of other ways to insult somebody.

In the heat of the moment, facing a very rude & obtuse individual, I suppose it could happen to me, though.
It wouldn't be right, of course, but I don't think the use of such words automatically indicates racism or mysogeny on the part of the user.

[Oexmelin]

So, basically, you self censor, because the reality of history is too disturbing for modern sensibilities?

That is emphatically not what I wrote. I understnd it's a common talking point, though.

Students get routinely exposed to the fucked up reality of history. My class, tomorrow, will have to deal with rape, mutilation, institutional and personal violence, because that's the fucked up reality of slavery.

I try to avoid uttering the n-word, because there is rarely any good reason to do so. I await a solid demonstration of what pedagogical good comes from a professor continuously speaking out loud racist slurs. Were I to conduct an actual cultural, or linguistic analysis of racist slurs, things may be different.

[Berkut]

So, basically, you self censor, because the reality of history is too disturbing for modern sensibilities?

That is emphatically not what I wrote. I understnd it's a common talking point, though.

Students get routinely exposed to the fucked up reality of history. My class, tomorrow, will have to deal with rape, mutilation, institutional and personal violence, because that's the fucked up reality of slavery.

I try to avoid uttering the n-word, because there is rarely any good reason to do so. I await a solid demonstration of what pedagogical good comes from a professor continuously speaking out loud racist slurs. Were I to conduct an actual cultural, or linguistic analysis of racist slurs, things may be different.

I am trying to imagine a good reason to use the word in the classroom, and nothing come to mind outside some very carefully constructed circumstances that I doubt actually happen in the real world.

[Oexmelin]

I am trying to imagine a good reason to use the word in the classroom, and nothing come to mind outside some very carefully constructed circumstances that I doubt actually happen in the real world.

As I said, I think a case could be made for a class dedicated to the analysis of insults and slurs - which I think is a legitimate object of study, and is often quite revealing. I always have such a class whenever I deal with 15th-18th century societies but in this case, insults usually focus around gender and sexuality rather than race, and those insults that deal with race usually mobilize words that don't have the longevity of the n-word.

[Berkut]

I actually have some experience dealing with the use of the n-word in sports. I am a sports official in both football and basketball at the HS and college level, and even some semi-pro basketball.

I've dealt with people dropping the word in the context of games at every level, and how I deal with that definitely varies based on the context, the audience, and simply the situation.

[alfred russel]

Seems like we have some rich white dudes policing the racial speech of a more working class minority.

[grumbler]

Seems like we have some rich white dudes policing the racial speech of a more working class minority.

Troll rating:  2/10.  You can troll better than this.

[viper37]

I try to avoid uttering the n-word, because there is rarely any good reason to do so. I await a solid demonstration of what pedagogical good comes from a professor continuously speaking out loud racist slurs.

that's what I understood from your previous message.

I can agree with that.  There's certainly no need to continuously speaking out loud racist slurs.  But there could be a context where you have to use it.

[Valmy]

Seems like we have some rich white dudes policing the racial speech of a more working class minority.

Hey man they can do what they want. I was just saying what I decided to do.

[11B4V]

Nowadays....never.

[crazy canuck]

It has been a number of years since I heard someone try use the argument that it is intent, not impact, that matters.

Funny how so many Canadians seem to diverge on this.

N*word: The impact matters!
discrimination vs French speakers throughout the country: Only the intent matters!

Very... curious, that line of thought.

Once again, I have to wonder where you get your news about the views held by those of us outside Quebec.

[viper37]

Once again, I have to wonder where you get your news about the views held by those of us outside Quebec.

Languish. But also: Globe & Mail, National Post, CBC News panel.