offensive language – News, Research and Analysis – The Conversation

The blind beetle species *Anophthalmus hitleri*, named for Adolf Hitler. Natural History Museum: Coleoptera Section from South Kensingon, London, UK, via Wikimedia Commons

December 5, 2024

A blind beetle named Hitler? The case for changing offensive names of animals and plants, and how it can be done

Desalegn Chala, University of Oslo; Dag Endresen, University of Oslo; Nils Christian Stenseth, University of Oslo, and Sebsebe Demissew, Addis Ababa University

Taxonomy does not exist in a vacuum. It is deeply entwined with history and society.

Hands up if you have been offended on social media. pathdoc/shutterstock

March 4, 2020

Why people take offence

Tahmineh Tayebi, Aston University

It’s all about context.

The cost of incarceration of Indigenous Australians in 2016 was estimated at A$3.9 billion. Shutterstock

April 8, 2018

We need evidence‑based law reform to reduce rates of Indigenous incarceration

Elyse Methven, University of Technology Sydney

Fines for minor infringements and offensive language crimes are among laws that create a cycle of poverty and disadvantage for Indigenous Australians.

Marchers at a “traditional marriage” rally in Sydney’s Belmore Park on September 20, 2015. AAP/Richard Milnes

November 2, 2016

Is it OK to use the f‑word in political protest?

Elyse Methven, Macquarie University

The “Fuck Fred Nile” case highlights the absurdity of criminalising “fleeting expletives” while allowing speech that depicts homosexuality as abnormal, unnatural and sinful.

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