Linguistic Racial Conditioning

Identifier

76

Author

Hunter S. Rhodes

Date

2016

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Major

Philosophy

Committee Chair

Verena Erlenbusch

Abstract

While many have studied the intentional use of racially coded language, especially with ideas such as dog whistle politics (DWP), there has not been much discussion of unintentional use of racially coded language. In this work I argue for what I call linguistic racial conditioning (LRC) as a way to fill this gap in the literature. I argue that LRC functions similarly to Pavlovian conditioning and it occurs, in part, as a result of our own implicit bias. From this, I argue that LRC not only offers an explanation for unintentional use of racially coded language, but it also helps explain the inception and continuation of DWP.

Comments

Undergraduate Honor's Thesis

Library Comment

Honors thesis originally submitted to the Local University of Memphis Honor’s Thesis Repository.

Recommended Citation

Rhodes, Hunter S., "Linguistic Racial Conditioning" (2016). Honors Theses. 45.
https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/honors_theses/45