Perception and attitudes of students about politically correct speech: A case study from the spectrum of diversity education

Abstract

Politically correct behavior implies the use of language and the right linguistic action. Therefore, language affects the human thought process, which determines the perception of reality and the individual’s actions. These measures of language that reform and sensitize people to justice and inclusion have raised many research questions. At the linguistic level, the concept aims to exclude any discriminatory use of language from discourse. From a sociological aspect, political correctness implies that speech that does not lead to discrimination and does not destroy a person’s identity. While, on the other methodological side, political correctness still implies the renewal of the culture of learning, that is, the redefinition of the educational paradigm. The paper aims to examine the perception of students of different fields of study about political correctness in the language and to compare the obtained data to raise awareness of the importance of using political correctness. 68 students of the Humanities and Social Sciences at Split and Libertas International University participated in the research. The work is based on the hypothesis that there are significant statistical differences in individual opinions regarding the direction of the study. Research has shown that more students of International Relations and International Business are warned about political correctness in the language because it is related to their profession, as opposed to the students in Split who study German language and literature. This was to be assumed, considering the different goals of the outcomes of the mentioned studies. The paper can be a guide for future similar research on a larger population, as well as a form for raising awareness of the importance of the concept of diversity and its implementation in higher education.