The People's Countryside Environmental Debate Podcast
The Language Of Discrimination
Published: 16 March 2025 at 10:00 Europe/London
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Episode notes
Welcome to The People’s Countryside Environmental Debate Podcast, where your co-hosts Stuart ‘The Wildman’ Mabbutt and William Mankelow discuss questions sent in by listeners.
In today’s episode both questions come from the country of Scotland, with Teasag in Moffat posing the following - “How do we know what any word means?”
Stuart begins the discussion around Teasag’s question by challenging categorical thinking, emphasizing the contextual nature of understanding. William expands on this theme, focusing on language development. He argues; that language is fundamentally conceptual, with words evolving dynamically; over time.
Stuart goes on to delve into the process of inquiry, with Stuart emphasizing the importance of repeated questioning and verification. This approach suggests a methodical and critical thinking process, where initial assumptions are constantly challenged and re-examined.
The second listener question from Scotland was sent in by Brice in Crieff, Scotland - “Have you ever been discriminated against?”
Stuart offers a profound personal account of experiencing discrimination within a professional networking context. During an encounter with the owner of a networking group in Oxfordshire, he was confronted about his bandages, with the suggestion that his appearance and behaviour was making others feel obligated to help him. This pivotal moment crystallized an important realization for Stuart: the critical importance of surrounding yourself with the right people.
Off the back of this story, both Stuart and William offer up actions for you to ponder on.
With regards to discrimination, Stuart offers this advice, that it's what you do with the discrimination, how you confront it, how you break it down. You're never gonna stop it, but you shouldn't just let it go unchallenged either. Also he suggests trying to see where the line between your own discriminations and assumptions are. Because an assumption can quickly evolve into discrimination if you don't back away from it.
William’s action is that when you look at somebody who is just different to you. Maybe they wear different clothes to you. Maybe they just look different to you in whatever way that is. Maybe they have a different religion to you. He encourages you to try to see through that discrimination and to see that person standing in front of you.
What do you make of this discussion? Do you have a question that you'd like us to discuss? Let us know by sending an email to thepeoplescountryside@gmail.com
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