From Derogation to Reclamation: How Does Language Change?
keywords:
Reclaiming / Derogatory labels / language / Stigmatization / race / gender / groups
From Derogation to Reclamation: How Does Language Change?
Derogatory labels are offensive words that can be reclaimed by a stigmatized group; however, the process of reclaiming can carry risks. 
In 2020, Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests took place around the world, reminding us about social inequalities and racism. Through these protests, we became particularly attentive to the language and labels we use. On July 29th, BBC News aired a news report where the N-word was...
/ moreFoetus or child? Language and attitudes toward abortion
keywords:
language / attitudes toward abortion / humanness attributions
Foetus or child? Language and attitudes toward abortion
Due to moral, religious and cultural sensibilities, the topic of abortion still gives rise to controversy in many countries. In this post, I will discuss our research showing how language used in abortion discourse can affect people’s attitudes by changing their attributions of humanity to unborn (Mikołajczak & Bilewicz, 2015). / more