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University of New Hampshire Deems 12 Words Problematic;Advises Students Against Usage

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213372bu

Banned
I searched University of New Hampshire and nothing popped up, but I thought this article was pretty weird and wanted to share it with GAF.

Edit: In regards to the validity of the guide here is an update on the story:
gutshot said:
Apparently it was real, but it wasn't official UNH policy. The University president had the page removed, because, well it was fucking stupid.

http://unh.edu/unhtoday/statement-unh-president-mark-huddleston-bias-free-language-guide
Click to expand...

Edit 2: The archived version of the guide in question:
mre said:
Here's the guide: https://web.archive.org/web/20150419052545/http://www.unh.edu/inclusive/bias-free-language-guide
Click to expand...



Article -
When students arrive on campus at the University of New Hampshire this fall, they’ll be welcomed with a “Bias-Free Language Guide” to help them in their conversations.

Since college campuses have become very concerned with “microaggressions” being committed on their campuses, UNH decided to help their students understand which words might offend others.

But, according to Campus Reform: "The university website encourages readers to understand that the guide “is not a means to censor but rather to create dialogues of inclusion where all of us feel comfortable and welcomed.”

A few of the words which are deemed “problematic” are:

American
Mothering
Fathering
Illegal Alien
Caucasian
Homeless
Poor person
Obese
Overweight
Healthy
Orientals
Freshmen

For each category, the University makes recommendations that, for the most part, are much longer and contain multiple words.

Instead of “poor person,” for instance, the student should say “person who lacks advantages that others have.” Mothering and fathering are frowned upon because they advance gender stereotypes. Instead, one should use “parenting” or “nurturing” because they describe the behavior.

“European-American individuals” is the favored term over “Caucasian.” And instead of “healthy,” use “non-disabled individual.”

The purpose is to: “…not stereotype or demean people based on personal characteristics.”

Students will be able to access the university’s 4,750-word web page to easily understand which words they are supposed to use when conversing with their peers.
Click to expand...

Personally, I think most of these are ridiculous and that advising against words such as "obese","healthy","poor","American" etc. are only going to complicate classroom discussions and cause professors to have to go through long round-about ways of discussing very simple concepts.

What are y'alls thoughts?

Give me microaggressions if old.
 
S

SocksAndShoes

Banned
Dennis said:
wat
Click to expand...

jDfrAdI.gif


Political correctness gone awry.
 
T

ThreePiMatt

Member
“European-American individuals” is the favored term over “Caucasian.” And instead of “healthy,” use “non-disabled individual.”
Click to expand...

"Non-disabled" is offensive. The correct terminology should be "non-differently-abled individual."
 
M

mre

Golden Domers are chickenshit!!
So, maybe people should reconsider using the word, "Orientals," but the others? Ehh...
 
B

bluehat9

Member
So you can't say 'American' at a public university in the united states?

What a time to be alive.


Rest of the list is garbage too.

Edit: aside from orientals. That one is more typically used offensively.
 
R

RedShift

Member
I was expecting this to be sort of vaguely reasonable stuff like 'don't use gay as a slur, don't say bitch' but this is so stupid it boggles my mind.

Healthy?

American?

Really?
 
T

Tertullian

Member
Lord what a stinking pile of horseshit.
University hypersensitivity continues to be a parody of itself.


EDIT: This site looks clickbaity. Any corroboration from somewhere else?
 
C

cirrhosis

Member
B

BUNTING1243

Banned
A lot of strange choices. I think the intent is good and that the "lol triggering ugh outrage culture" people are giant assholes most of the time, but I don't really understand the thinking for most of these terms ("obese" is bad but "fat" isn't on the list?)
 
C

CDX

Member
But *gasp*

“European-American individuals”

has the word American in it, and American is also a problematic word according to them.
 
B

braves01

Banned
Non-disabled European-American individuals need to check their privilege and acknowledge persons who lack the advantages others have.

Btw, trigger warning should be changed because trigger is an inherent trigger word for people who have been traumatized by gun violence due to its association with guns.
 
D

Deleted member 231381

Unconfirmed Member
Mothering/fathering seems fair enough, they apply particular manners of behavior to particular genders, encouraging gender stereotypes. Caucasian as a term is just not very useful anyway. Oriental is a borderline slur, so sure.

I'm not sure about any of the rest, though.

EDIT: I guess freshmen should be freshperson or some such?
 
Soodanim

Soodanim

Gold Member
Instead of “poor person,” for instance, the student should say “person who lacks advantages that others have.” Mothering and fathering are frowned upon because they advance gender stereotypes. Instead, one should use “parenting” or “nurturing” because they describe the behavior.

“European-American individuals” is the favored term over “Caucasian.” And instead of “healthy,” use “non-disabled individual.”
Click to expand...
Nothing I say can accurately describe just how stupid this is.
 
G

gutshot

Member
Apparently it was real, but it wasn't official UNH policy. The University president had the page removed, because, well it was fucking stupid.

http://unh.edu/unhtoday/statement-unh-president-mark-huddleston-bias-free-language-guide

"While individuals on our campus have every right to express themselves, I want to make it absolutely clear that the views expressed in this guide are NOT the policy of the University of New Hampshire. I am troubled by many things in the language guide, especially the suggestion that the use of the term ‘American’ is misplaced or offensive. The only UNH policy on speech is that it is free and unfettered on our campuses. It is ironic that what was probably a well-meaning effort to be ‘sensitive’ proves offensive to many people, myself included."

— UNH President Mark W. Huddleston
Click to expand...
 
S

Splatterpunk

Member
It's kinda weird - orientals is the only one that undeniably belongs on the list, yet it's something no one at typical college age would say anyway.
 
D

drtomoe123

Member
This kind of garbage is why people don't take a lot of liberal ideas seriously. This list is so pandering...there are some worthwhile battles to be fought out there but this isn't one of them.
 
A

Azuran

Banned
What if you're an American freshman that was fathered by a Caucasian illegal alien that's poor and homeless but healthy?
 
S

Snowman Prophet of Doom

Member
Your tax dollars hard at work, New Hampshire.

Fuck the modern left.

Edit: Ah, it was removed. Good. Still, time and money was wasted compiling that idiotic garbage, and somehow, nobody thought better of it before publication. That's hardly a glowing endorsement.
 
S

Slayven

Member
Hahahaha, other than Oriental which i totally understand, who catches feelings for those words other than the most insane fringes?
 
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