I do think dropping master is absurd, since it in no way implies slavery or any such thing. mastermostly has uses that are entirely inoffensive, unless post-graduate degrees are racist, for example.
But I do think there is some merit in moving off the idea of white is good and black is bad. There are some good arguments that we shouldn’t bestow magic powers upon words, but there is also a lot of merit in the idea that these words affect our perception in negative ways and there is really nothing lost by shifting to equally good alternatives.
Maybe it’s my culture. I think of master as the “master of kung-fu/art/sword/”. Something or someone that have earned respect and is at the core of it’s field.
Yes, I entirely agree. A masterpiece, or mastering an art, or more relevant to software branches: master tapes. None of these imply any sort of subjugation etc…
But… that’s just about the word “master”. I do think there are other terms that it’s a good idea to migrate away from.
If the terms were reversed, you might think differently! We’re not always aware of our own bias, but we can strive to examine how we think about things instead of making snap judgements
I do think dropping
masteris absurd, since it in no way implies slavery or any such thing.mastermostly has uses that are entirely inoffensive, unless post-graduate degrees are racist, for example.But I do think there is some merit in moving off the idea of white is good and black is bad. There are some good arguments that we shouldn’t bestow magic powers upon words, but there is also a lot of merit in the idea that these words affect our perception in negative ways and there is really nothing lost by shifting to equally good alternatives.
Maybe it’s my culture. I think of
masteras the “master of kung-fu/art/sword/”. Something or someone that have earned respect and is at the core of it’s field.Yes, I entirely agree. A masterpiece, or mastering an art, or more relevant to software branches: master tapes. None of these imply any sort of subjugation etc…
But… that’s just about the word “master”. I do think there are other terms that it’s a good idea to migrate away from.
this gave me a good laugh
The idea of “black list” has nothing to do with black people, to my understending
It does to people who are absolutely obsessed with race and see it everywhere they look.
If the terms were reversed, you might think differently! We’re not always aware of our own bias, but we can strive to examine how we think about things instead of making snap judgements
That’s not the issue. The issue is inherently seeing white as meaning good and black as meaning bad.
This has absolutely nothing to do with racial features.
I don’t think you understand the pervasiveness of racial animosity.