Education

‘Inclusive Terminology’ Guide At University Of Missouri Raises Awareness Of ‘Adultism’

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The University of Missouri, the taxpayer-funded flagship college of Missouri, published an “inclusive terminology” guide for students to learn and use as part of efforts to make the school more “inclusive.”

The guide explains that “sticks and stones are not the only things that may be hurtful,” before instructing students to learn “the most current terminology,” which includes “adultism,” “two spirit” and “cultural appropriation,” among others.

The guide is titled “The Language of Identity: Using inclusive terminology at Mizzou” and defines “adultism,” for example, as “prejudice and accompanying discrimination over young people.”

The guide also includes the term “minoritized,” which it defines as “when underrepresented groups are made to feel ‘less than.’” Neither “adultism” nor “minoritized” can be found in Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary.

Another term the university wants its students to learn is “two spirit,” which the guide defines as “A unique Native American identity embodying traits of both men and women or of another gender than assigned.”

The guide also includes the term “color blind,” which the university claims “is currently used by those who oppose race-conscious policies, like affirmative action, to argue that race does not/should not matter in decision making.” The guide goes on to claim that the term “can be disempowering for people whose racial identity is an important part of who they are.”

The guide also includes a definition for “safe space,” which it defines as an “area or forum where underrepresented groups can feel comfortable and supported and does not tolerate harassment or hate speech.” Mizzou students generated controversy during last month’s protests when they designated public property as a “no media safe space” to prevent reporters from interviewing protesters. (RELATED: Mizzou Professor Calls For ‘Muscle’ To Help Remove Reporter Covering Protests [VIDEO])

Mizzou students are also encouraged to learn the term “cultural appropriation,” which the guide defines as “taking and benefiting from the expression, ideas, artifacts, etc. of another culture without permission.”

Missouri student Parker Briden told TheDC: “It might be useful for conservatives to learn these terms so that we can debate the issues surrounding them with a common language. However, the hyper-focus on regulating the words we use misses the larger point.”

Briden went on to say that “If we concentrated on respecting each other, instead of just policing language, we’d see a better sense of community on our campuses.”

According to the university website, the guide was last updated on November 4, 2015. The university did not respond to multiple requests from TheDC asking if the guide was updated in accordance with last month’s protests.