With profound reservations against use of language research thesis and other research outputs that raise the sentiments of social exclusion, the Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy (CSSEIP) of the Utkal University initiated a move toward using inclusive language while writing research outputs.
Prof Brahmananda Satapathy, Dean Social Sciences, Prof Ranjan Kumar Bal, Chairman- PG Council, Prof Sabita Acharya, Director, School of Women Studies, Prof Navneeta Rath, Head Department of Sociology, Dr Siba Sankar Mohanty, Head, Department of Analytical and Applied Economics, Prof Swarnamayee Tripathy, Head, Department of Public Administration, Dr Sudhakar Jally, Head, Department of Philosophy and experts from different streams of social sciences and humanities among others spoke at a brain-storming session in the Uktal University campus here.
SIC Sashiprava Bindhani also participated in the process and appreciated the move by CSSEIP as very timely and appropriate in the context of fighting social exclusion and other excluding stereotypes.
Opening the round table, Prof Bal highlighted the power of word and specific use of language in promoting or preventing social exclusion and research outputs of any university, be it a PhD thesis or a project report, when it is disseminated to the society in the form of policy suggestions or situation analyses.
Setting the tone of the discussion, Dr Mohanty, Deputy Director-CSSEIP highlighted the different forms social exclusion in the usage of language in writing research outputs. He mentioned that in a subtle way and unknowingly researchers are likely to use language as a vehicle of discrimination and social exclusion. For example, unnecessary mention of a person’s identity in terms of sex, caste, ethnicity, disability and region may defeat the idea of inclusion.
Similarly, social stereotyping, derogatory and imposed labelling in terms of religion or other social grouping may be avoided. He told that CSSEIP is committed to take this issue to its logical end and suggest the university to adopt a policy of confirmation by the supervisors and research scholars to some norms of using inclusive language in their research work.
SIC Bindhani highlighted the Constitutional mandate for promoting ideas of social inclusion. The discussion ended with a formal vote of thanks by Dr Priya Ranjan Dash, Deputy Director, CSSEIP.