Here’s an ‘academic’ debate that I missed when it first appeared a few years ago. Is ‘Anglo-Saxon’ a neutral term for a group of people or is it a dog-whistle phrase for racists? Although in Europe the word may conjure up images of 1066 & all that, this is not the case the world over.
The use of the term ‘Anglo-Saxon’ has a long history in the US rooted in white supremacy & the justification of slavery, conquest, & the subjugation of non-white races.
Before the Civil War, the term ‘Anglo-Saxon’ was frequently invoked by pro-slavery advocates to defend slavery and racial oppression of Black Americans. By the mid-19th century, ‘Anglo-Saxon’ had become a generic term embracing all white, Protestant, English-speaking people as a supposedly superior race entitled to conquer and subjugate Hispanic America & impose their ‘highest order of civilization’.
More recently, Trump loyalists’ have promoted ‘Anglo-Saxon political traditions’ as a clear revival of the term’s historical usage to advance a white supremacist, nativist vision that certain races are inherently superior & destined to rule over others.
Over this side of the pond, it would seem that Cambridge University Press is inclined to agree that the term is problematic, since it’s renamed its long-running journal ‘Anglo-Saxon England’ to ‘Early Medieval England & its Neighbours’. The journal [it’s free online!], which began in the 1970s, was newly retitled to reflect ‘international, interdisciplinary‘ research in the field. CUP is quick to point out it has ‘not banned the term “Anglo-Saxon” and does not discourage its use‘.
It goes on to say that the renaming is part of Cambridge’s broader efforts to ‘decolonize’ research & address insensitive/offensive language‘. Predictably, this move has sparked discussion around ensuring inclusive framings of history vs. preserving academic terminology.
Historians like Dominic Sandbrook, in an article in the Daily Mail [apologies], have criticized the change as due to Cambridge lacking ‘the courage to say no to a handful of mad Americans‘.
It all goes to show that language is ever-evolving, & shaped by cultural contexts & power dynamics. We all have a responsibility to critically examine the coded meanings & histories behind the terminology we use, updating our practices to promote more inclusive discourse.
Possible takeaways for educators?
- The importance of cultural sensitivity in language/framing
- Evolving views on diversity & identity can impact academic/intellectual discourse
- The need to contextualize historical terms without promoting exclusionary narratives
Should the use of words be changed in one country in response to how it’s being used in another country? Is anything similar happening in another language you know?
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