Perhaps like Impressionism before it, political correctness will be a useful, neutral shorthand for a way of seeing the world. Until then, it’s a insult thrown across Xmas dinner tables and in the opinion pages of The Australian. ‘You’re just being politically correct’ pointedly suggests that a view is being parroted, that is it not honestly held. Why are attempts, no doubt in my case faltering and inexpertly argued, assumed to be disingenuous? What does this do except reinforce an underlying idea that bigotry, or the ugly aspects of the Id, are not only raw but somehow better for being honest?
My politics, formed in late high school, which views the world through a feminist, social justice and environmentalist lens has barely changed since I was 17 years old. Having children has made my feminism a bit more nuanced, thoughtful and even gentle in some ways, but otherwise I am unchanged. What does it take to change your opinion? And is change only possible with generational change, like we have seen with the huge support for marriage equality?
Society places great importance on good grades for a good future, but the reality after university looks bleak for so many students – especially Bachelor of Arts students. Even those graduating from top universities struggle to find work in their field. Why has university undergraduate degrees become obsolete? Why is my cohort filled with bitterness and disappointment at the end of their studies, rather than hope for the future?