The importance of understanding how our words affect others
Each year, The Ontarion does some form of anti-oppression training – this year, we were fortunate enough to have Sonja Christopherson, a Human Rights Advisor at the University of Guelph Office of Diversity and Human Rights, present the seminar. Each year, the training we receive is different, because this is a part of culture that is continually changing, and is a crucial issue that must be acknowledged and addressed continually.
The University of Guelph is an institution that prides itself on being an inclusive community, and the Office of Diversity and Human Rights (DHR) holds inclusion as one of its main mandates. The DHR website states that “A community is inclusive if it fully and respectfully involves all members regardless of gender, religion, race, colour, sexual orientation, national origin, age, or physical ability in the activities and life of that community.” Each individual has a responsibility to take this motion seriously and to acknowledge that the way we use our words is something worth analyzing to a further degree.
Looking at the way in which we use vocabulary allows for a better understanding of how our words may have an effect on another person. Words that were once thought of as slang, or perhaps still are, were likely never acceptable and most definitely are not anymore. With the increase of insight into how words can affect people in different ways, and as times are always changing, there is no place better to push forward this movement than here. It is a core component to changing the world for the better; the steps we take now, although they may seem small, are steps to ensure a better future for everyone.
Everyone has a different history, which is what makes everyone so special and uniquely beautiful – but this also means that everyone has had different experiences that warrant different reactions to the things we say. This is why it is crucial to be sensitive when speaking and to teach ourselves and those who are not familiar with these issues about the importance of them. It is not just the words, but is the way in which our words are used – for instance, there are things that we might say that sounds completely acceptable to us, but we are not always thinking of how it could make someone else feel.
A couple of examples shown to us by Christopherson were similar to the following “I just killed that exam,” and “I’ll shoot you an email.” When first hearing these, it became clear that on a daily basis, many people use words that could, and do, oppress people. It was also brought to my attention from one of my peers that saying “That almost gave me a heart attack” is something that is used often, but is another phrase people use that could make others feel a negative response. To one person it may not mean much, but to someone who has experienced the death of a loved one from a heart attack, this would be a reminder of a sad moment in their lives – just like the first two examples given earlier at the beginning of this paragraph. Have you ever thought that by using these seemingly “normal” sayings, you may actually be bringing back memories of someone who has knows someone who has been shot, has been shot themselves, or has seen or knows someone who has been killed? These are sayings that are openly used in our society and because they are not taken seriously by many, they have become the “norm.” We have a chance now to create a new, more positive norm and put an end to oppressive language.
Different decades in history have seen the “acceptance” of certain words that are oppressive to people – as if because they were the “norm” it was okay to use them as slang words, or in the sense of bullying. Saying that you are from another decade where that kind of talk was acceptable is not an excuse, but it is reason to recognize and acknowledge that things are different now, and help work towards the change.
We are now working to move past this and to recognize that it is never okay to discriminate against someone, or to bully them. The more often these inappropriate words are used, the less seriously they are taken by the users. Using them is not a good example to be setting for anyone.
We need to break the mold and create a new “norm” – a norm that is inclusive and welcoming to everyone; a norm where everyone is treated equally and is respected. There is no better place to do this than here; in a sense, we are all privileged. We live in a society where we are protected by the Canadian Charter of Human Rights and Freedom, but we all need to work towards following through with this and taking a stance to better educate ourselves and others about the way in which we communicate with each other.