In recent years, quite a lot of effort has been put into making sure that terms used to refer to certain groups of people – particularly those who are part of marginalised or stigmatised minorities – are not offensive. This is obviously to be applauded. Language matters and hearing yourself referred to with a derogatory term is hurtful and undermines self-worth. Equally when people grow up hearing certain groups referred to with derogatory terms, this is more likely to create a feeling that these groups are in fact inferior in some sense and that it is okay to insult them. This can do a lot of long-term harm. However, the thinking seems to be that if we just change the term used, that will lead to improvement and this is short-sighted.
Continue reading “Language Matters, But Is Not All”Tag: #languagematters
Foster Carer or Foster Parent?
Should we be referring to the people caring for a foster child as foster carers, or as foster parents? It seems like a trivial matter, but that is not necessarily the case. As we have seen in a previous blog (you can find it HERE) language can make a big difference in how things are perceived, how much cooperation you can expect, and even how people act.
Continue reading “Foster Carer or Foster Parent?”