Doublespeak - Language Perception

Doublespeak is language that is intentionally misleading and is often used to avoid taking responsibility for an action by using indirect language. It is used to make the bad seem good and the negative appear positive. While intentionally misleading people may not be the morally right thing to do, it is often how people choose to communicate, because they believe it is in their best overall interest. Although there are several different types of doublespeak, I will focus on language and perception through words that are similar in meaning.

The words "African-American" and "black" are used differently depending on the context of the conversation, even though they can both be used to talk about a person who has black skin. For example, when used in a political context, almost everyone would use the word African-American, because it sounds more politically correct. This is also the case when a Caucasian person refers to someone with black skin as being African-American. The Caucasian person doesn't want to appear to be racist, as if saying that the person is "black," would be offensive. A person with black skin on the other hand, can call anyone by the color of their skin and still not seem offensive. Would it seem at all strange to you if a black person called a Caucasian "white"? It is socially acceptable for anyone to call a Caucasian person "white", but it is not always socially acceptable for a white person to call someone "black". That is why the term African-American is so widely used today, to avoid the socially awkward situations when interracial communication is necessary.

Which of the two words is used, is determined by how others will perceive what we say. If a black person referred to another black person as being "African-American", it would seem strange because of the social context. The way language is perceived plays a huge role in how we interact. Nobody wants to say something that could be perceived as being offensive and rude because the repercussions might not be worth the trouble. It is very interesting how something as simple as deciding which word to use can be such a big deal, especially when the two words mean the same thing.