the way we THINK

A Study of the Effects of Derogatory Slang

By Ms. Sitz's 12th Grade English Class

     After reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X, we will study how unkind words originate, evolve, and have the power to shape the way we think.

The Big Question:

     Where do the insulting words we frequently use originate? Much of the slang used jokingly by teenagers today has historical roots of racism, sexism, and many other unfair prejudices, or conversely, was originally an emotionally unassociated term. Does the fact that many common insults have roots in bigotry and intolerance affect the way we think? Since when did having a mental disability or being from an ethnically mixed background become an insult? And, when did it become acceptable to call your friends names that, in the past, were used by the racially intolerant and close minded to depreciate someone of another skin color? Does the language we use affect our opinions of people?

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