New Communication Code – Political Correctness in the Changing World

Irina Perianova (University of National and World Economy, Sofia/ University of Cambridge, UK) [BIO]

Email: irinaperianova@yahoo.com

 

ABSTRACT:

My presentation is based on an evaluative analysis of post-modernist and post-communist discourse and focuses on one of the most important phenomena of the 20th century- political correctness (pc) which may be viewed as a communicative code of globalization with its denial of hierarchy , its emphasis on a culturally pluralistic and interconnected global society lacking any single dominant center of political power, communication, or intellectual production. Thus pc takes on the function of an ethical language.

I also plan to discuss the gradual emergence of pc in post-communist space - the adoption of new rules and the intercultural perspective of pc in the wake of Bulgarian accession to the EU and its local peculiarities and features. The area of pc which embraces not only language but also the entire attitude of equality is new in post-communist discourse, while what is described as socialist pc is often the language of inequality, rather than equality. The rationale of pc involves H. Giles’ adaptation theory known as CAT and the concept of trust, as well as the game theory.

Key words: political correctness, avoidance language, taboo, communicative code, EU accession and Eastern Europe, globalization, consumer capitalism, ex-nomination, mind control, accommodation, otherisation, trust and intimacy