It all depends on context and the severity of the slur. I’ll take a crack at it, but again, it really depends.
1 apathy
2-4 discomfort at the idea
5-7 would take action to stop it if in a position of authority
8-9 would take action to stop it, even if it wasn’t my job to do it
10 may consider physical violence to stop it.
Slurs against blacks : 9
Slurs against asians : 9
Slurs against hispanics : 9
Slurs against nationals : 4
Slurs against native americans : 9
Slurs against whites in general : 4 Slurs against Jews : 9
Negative racial or ethnic stereotypes : 8
Neutral racial or ethnic stereotypes : 3
Positive racial or ethnic stereotypes : 2
Insulting fat people : 2
Insulting women : 9
Insulting men : 2
Insulting gay men : 8
Insulting gay women : 8
Insulting retarded people : 4
Insulting handicapped people : 5
Insulting psychologically troubled people : 6
Insulting ugly people : 2
Insulting geeky people : 2
Insulting country-ish people : 2
Insulting christians : 2
Insulting athiest or wrong religion : 2
Insulting poor people : 7
Insulting rich people : 1
Insulting uneducated people : 4
It looks like overall I’m more concerned with people being respectful of each other than other people around here. I believe in speaking up when people are behaving badly. But I also don’t think every generalization is offensive.
One problem I had with the scoring system is “taking action to stop it if in a position of authority” and feeling personally apathetic are not mutually exclusive. Any better ideas on how to describe the levels of offensiveness?
Did anyone notice which category doesn’t fit in with the others? There’s only one which you don’t choose, which is wealth. You could argue that you choose your religion, but I’m sure it doesn’t feel that way to religious people. If you believe that other characteristics, like poverty or homosexuality, are choices, then that’s a argument for a different forum. These characteristics could also be divided between mutable and immutable characteristics, and at least in terms of Constitutional law, it’s generally considered worse to discriminate on the basis of immutable characteristics.
I find it offensive that people can honestly rate insults/slurs against people by such superficial qualitites as race, physical appearance or sexuality.
Too suggest that prejudice is more offensive to one race than another is ridiculous.
I think that most people know logically in their minds that prejudice against each race or creed or whatever should be treated equally. However, that emotional response, that gut reaction you feel is uncontrollable and will most likely differ based on the group being targeted.
And that difference in reaction will most likely result in differences in behavior (i.e. how much of a fuss is made).
What is important to me is how the joke/insult is meant ( or what i perceive the meaning to be). A lot of my friends including me make jokes about being fat, stupid, ugly etc, but these are directed at people we know, to their face, and it is meant (and taken) as a joke. I’m not offended by any of this, it is just mates playing around.
Equally, if i heard someone on the street refer to other people as a welfare bum, plebby or whatever but in a mindless way, as if he/she just says it, without really thinking about it, then i wouldn’t be offended, but i definately wouldn’t want to talk to them either.
If i head someone using insults like that but with meaning, with actual hatred behind the words, then that would definately offend me. The level of offense wouldn’t really depend on the words themselves - its what they express that bothers me.
What i’m trying to say basically is that the words aren’t important. Its the emotions and meanings behind those words.
Slurs against blacks : 5
Slurs against asians : 2
Slurs against hispanics : 3
Slurs against nationals : 1
Slurs against native americans : 3
Slurs against whites in general : 1
Negative racial or ethnic stereotypes : 5
Neutral racial or ethnic stereotypes : 1
Positive racial or ethnic stereotypes : 1
Insulting fat people : 3
Insulting women : 5
Insulting men : 3
Insulting gay men : 4
Insulting gay women : 4
Insulting retarded people : 5
Insulting handicapped people : 2
Insulting psychologically troubled people : 2
Insulting ugly people : 5
Insulting geeky people : 1
Insulting country-ish people : 2
Insulting christians : 1
Insulting athiest or wrong religion : 3
Insulting poor people : 3
Insulting rich people : 1
Insulting uneducated people : 2