Page 101 - Essentials of Human Communication

80 Chapter 4 Verbal Messages

You can gain insight into a wide variety of offensive language practices by viewing them as
types of disconfirmation—as language that alienates and separates. Four obvious disconfirming
practices are racism, heterosexism, ageism, and sexism; we’ll look at these practices next.
Another “-ism” is ableism—discrimination against people with disabilities. This particular
practice is handled throughout this text in a series of tables offering tips for communicating
with people with and without a variety of communication disabilities:
For an application of this concept ● between people with and without hearing problems (Chapter 3)
of confirmation, see “Because I said ● between people with and without visual problems (Chapter 5)
so” at tcbdevito.blogspot.com.
How do you see confirmation ● between people with and without speech and language disorders (Chapter 6)
denied?
raCist sPeeCH
Racist speech is speech that puts down, minimizes, and marginalizes a person or group
because of their race. Not only does racist speech express racist attitudes, it also contributes
to the development of racist attitudes in those who use or hear the language. Even when
racism is subtle, unintentional, or even unconscious, its effects are systematically damaging
(Dovidio, Gaertner, Kawakami, & Hodson, 2002).
Racism exists on both individual and institutional levels (Koppelman, 2005). Individual
racism takes the form of negative attitudes and beliefs held about specific races. Assumptions
Watch the Video “You Shouldn’t that certain races are intellectually inferior to others or incapable of particular types of
Have to Deal with That” at achievements are clear examples of individual racism. Prejudices against American Indians,
MyCommunicationLab African Americans, Hispanics, and Arabs, in particular, have been with us throughout U.S.
history and are still a part of many people’s lives today. Such racism can be seen, for example,
in the negative terminology that some people use to refer to members of other races and to
disparage their customs and accomplishments.
Institutional racism takes forms such as communities’ de facto school segregation, com-
panies’ reluctance to hire members of minority groups, and banks’ unwillingness to extend
loans to members of some ethnic groups or readiness to charge these groups higher interest
rates. Here are some “obvious” suggestions for avoiding racist speech:
● Avoid using derogatory terms for members of a particular race.
● Avoid basing your interactions with members of other races on stereotypes perpetuated
by the media.
● Avoid mentioning race when it’s irrelevant, as in references to “the African American
surgeon” or “the Asian athlete.”
● Avoid attributing individuals’ economic or social problems to the race of the individuals
rather than to their actual sources: for example, institutionalized racism or general eco-
nomic problems that affect everyone

HeterOsexist sPeeCH
Heterosexist speech also exists on both individual and institutional levels. Individual hetero-
sexism refers to attitudes, behaviors, and language that disparage gay men and lesbians and
includes the belief that all sexual behavior that is not heterosexual is unnatural and deserving
of criticism and condemnation. Such beliefs are at the heart of antigay violence and “gay
bashing.” Individual heterosexism also includes the idea that homosexuals are more likely
than heterosexuals to commit crimes (actually, they are neither more nor less likely) or to
molest children (actually, child molesters are overwhelmingly heterosexual married men)
(Abel & Harlow, 2001; Koppelman, 2005). It also includes the belief that homosexuals cannot
maintain stable relationships or effectively raise children, a belief that contradicts research
evidence (Fitzpatrick, Jandt, Myrick, & Edgar, 1994; Johnson & O’Connor, 2002).
Institutional heterosexism is easy to identify. The ban on gay marriage in many states and
Explore the Exercise the fact that at this time only a handful of states allow gay marriage is a good example of
“Identifying the Barriers to
Communication” at institutional heterosexism. In some cultures homosexual relations are illegal (for example, in
MyCommunicationLab Pakistan, Yemen, and Iran, with sentences that can range from years in prison to death).