A critical analysis on political and anti-political correctness

This study focuses on the emergence of the concept of political correctness in the US, its meaning and its subsequent transformation. Political correctness, which in the most general sense means avoiding words and behaviors that would hurt disadvantaged groups and cause their exclusion from society, has been instrumentalized by right-wing conservatives over time and has become a means for them to carry out their own policies. Under the influence of Post-Truth and populism, political correctness has undergone a serious shift in meaning and has been reduced to a pedantic tool through which elites intervene in how ordinary people speak in daily life. As a result of this shift in the meaning of political correctness, the true meaning of the concept has taken a background. Certain circles have consciously used this to hide their reaction to identity politics and discriminatory discourse behind their opposition to political correctness. In particular, Alternative Right movement has placed the opposition to political correctness at the center of its policies. Taking advantage of this atmosphere, Donald J. Trump has made anti-political correctness the most important emphasis of his populist discourse and has built the backbone of his policy on anti-political correctness. In this context, the first chapter of the thesis discusses the historical and social background of political correctness and the evolution of the concept. The second section focuses on anti-political correctness and the arguments put forward by anti-political correctness that instrumentalize the concept. The third chapter discusses, the concept of post-truth, which provides a suitable environment for the spread of anti-political correctness theses. The fourth chapter, discusses the relationship between populist discourse and anti-political correctness. The fifth chapter examines Alternative Right movement that wages war against political correctness. The sixth section discusses how Donald Trump uses anti-political correctness in his policymaking.