Reclaiming
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- For the neopagan organization of this name, see Reclaiming (neopaganism)
To reclaim is to bring a word back to a more acceptable course. This can have wider implications in the fields of discourse, and is often used described in terms of personal or socio-political empowerment.
[edit] Linguistics
To reclaim something is the political process and strategy consisting in re-evaluating and re-appropriating terms that in the dominant culture are used to oppress minorities. Similar to the 'pride' movements, this process differs because of its provocative elements: derogatory terms come to acquire positive meaning in the tight circle of the literati, while they keep their negative connotations outside of it. Michel Foucault discusses this idea as a 'reverse discourse' in his History of Sexuality: Volume I.
The use of these terms by people who are not members of that group tends to remain viewed as strongly derogatory.
Reclaimed words include
- 'Nigger' by the black movement[1]
- 'Bitch', 'cunt' and 'feminazi' by the feminist movement
- 'Slut', and 'slag' by promiscuous, sexual liberation, polygamous and polyamorous affiliates.
- 'Dyke', 'poof', 'queer', 'homo', and 'faggot' or 'fag' by the LGBT movements[2]
- 'Tranny' by the transgender and transsexual rights movements
- 'Crip' and 'gimp' by people with disabilities
- 'Redneck' by southern political movements, especially conservative movements
- 'Liberal', previously avoided as a self description (in response to late 20th century framing by conservative forces) by the substitution of the word 'progressive — as in "I am proud to be a Liberal".
- 'Jesus freak' by Christians, and especially Christian teens
- 'Papist' by Roman Catholics.
[edit] Notes
- ^ For example, the band N.W.A., or the titles of several of Richard Pryor's recordings.
- ^ See Queer Nation for several relevant examples
