At Oxford University Press we have to balance children’s cultural and learning needs, while retaining some healthy common sense.
.... Managing cultural sensitivities isn’t about reducing educational quality, pandering to minority views, restricting freedom of speech or self-censorship. It’s about ensuring the educational value of our publishing is able to navigate the maze of cultural norms for the benefit of students around the world. We want to ensure we can make the widest possible impact. [597 comments]
[TOP RATED COMMENT 339 votes] "It’s about ensuring the educational value of our publishing is able to navigate the maze of cultural norms."
In other words: you can bet your bottom dollar we are all about reducing educational quality, pandering to minority views, restricting freedom of speech or self-censorship.
[SECOND 271] "So, for example, a definition of a pig would not be excluded from a dictionary, and we wouldn’t dream of editing out a “pig” character from an historical work of fiction. "
Does that mean you would not have a pig in a future work of children's fiction?
So to satisfy the mind-bogglingly irrational demands of imported cultures/religions we will have an ever-growing list of proscribed animals.
Why are we not proud of very-hard won Enlightenment,liberal values and try to push them world-wide instead of giving into this nonsense.
[THIRD 239] Your post might've made more sense if 'Islamophobia' wasn't just a way of trying to shoehorn criticism of religion into the 'racism' definition.
Some people are idiots and can't distinguish Muslim people from Islam - Muslim people can of course be lovely, kind people. Islam itself as a so called moral code is dreadful though - don't lump criticism of Islam in with things like homophobia and racism which are actual issues.
[FOURTH 229] I guess "Animal Farm" is on the dodgy list.......
[FIFTH 218] It's self-censorship to avoid offending people.
[SEVENTH 215] What a disgracefully mealy-mouthed apologia for censorship.
[EIGHTH 181] "So, for example, if animals are depicted shown in a background illustration, we would think carefully about which animals to choose. In doing so we are able to ensure children remain focused purely on their learning, rather than cultural characteristics."
So effectively it's a ban on depicting pigs in new work. Why not just have the guts to come out and say it.
[NINTH 120] Muslim parents demanded the abolition of pork in all the school canteens of a Montreal suburb. The mayor of the Montreal suburb refused, and the town clerk sent a note to all parents to explain why.
Muslims must understand that they have to adapt to Canada and Quebec, its customs, its traditions, its way of life, because that’s where they chose to immigrate. “They must understand that they have to integrate and learn to live in Quebec.“They must understand that it is for them to change their lifestyle, not the Canadians who so generously welcomed them. [Guardian Cif] Read more
