Social Justice Warrior
Social Justice Warrior (often abbreviated to SJW , German Social Justice Warrior ) is a derogatory expression or catchphrase for activists in questions of social justice , especially feminism and civil rights , whose actions are perceived as exaggerated or restrictive of opinion.
use
In the 20th century, the term was used mostly positively, but it has had a negative connotation since 2011. Originally it is used across the board by American right-wing extremists to denigrate leftists and liberals, not unlike the German word Gutmensch . However, there are meanwhile more differentiated meanings of the term, also used in non-right circles, which only designate a special type of activism so that a uniform definition is not quite recognizable. The term gained greater prominence in the English-speaking world after its use in 2014 in the GamerGate controversy over sexism in video games, after which it was included in the US online edition of the Oxford English Dictionary , but not in its standard edition.
The Observer writes that the term stands for left activists who, in their struggle for social justice, often try to suppress counter-arguments or other positions or automatically try to portray them as racist. One example is the Black Lives Matter movement , in which some activists wanted to ban the mention of black crime against blacks and called for disciplinary action against counter-demonstrators. Another example is the criticism of racism against cultural products such as exhibitions, films or books that are not perceived as racist by the people actually affected. Feminist criticism of the role of women in Islam was also directly declared as anti-Islamic by so-called Social Justice Warriors . Demands that men should not sit with their legs apart or that people should address themselves with constantly changing gender pronouns would be made in an authoritarian and illiberal style. Such an appearance would denigrate progressive purposes, such as feminism or civil rights, to which many people would actually agree, among the population.
According to one of several Urban Dictionary “definitions” cited in an article in the Washington Post , Social Justice Warrior is a derogatory term for someone who “ interferes repeatedly and violently with online social justice discussions , often in a superficial and superficial way a poorly thought-out way to improve one's own reputation. ”SJWs neither necessarily believe in everything they say, nor are they really interested in the groups they fight for. Typically, he profiles himself as a champion of social benefits for which others then have to pay, and prohibits others from thinking, while he himself collects "SJ points" without doing any work.
Katherine Martin, responsible for US dictionaries at Oxford University Press , drew parallels between the terms social justice warrior and political correctness . Both would denigrate something that is initially harmless or well-intentioned by assuming insincerity or at least naivety. In particular, the perceived "orthodoxy" of progressive politics had caused a backlash among people who felt patronized in their language.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e Abby Ohlheiser: Why 'social justice warrior,' a Gamergate insult, is now a dictionary entry. The Washington Post, October 7, 2015, accessed September 2, 2017 .
- ↑ "a person who expresses or promotes socially progressive views." oxforddictionaries.com
- ↑ https://observer.com/2016/02/the-totalitarian-doctrine-of-social-justice-warriors/
- ↑ https://observer.com/2016/02/the-totalitarian-doctrine-of-social-justice-warriors/
- ↑ Urban Dictionary: Social Justice Warrior , Entry # 3 by user poopem, April 11, 2011, accessed February 27, 2017