Glenda Simms, Contributor
The Monday, October 2 edition of The Gleaner carried the headline, 'Research says swearing can boost team spirit'. Under this headline were 'head to breast' pictures of three prominent Jamaican opinion makers, two women and one man. It was the serious expressions of Audrey Hinchcliffe, Leahcim Semaj and Donna Parchment that prompted me to assume that Gareth Manning, my favourite Gleaner writer, was on to something profound.
Upon reading the content of the article, I wondered why Manning chose to highlight the research findings of Professors Yehuda Baruch and Stuart Jenkins of the University of East Anglia in Norwich.
In fact, I wondered why The Gleaner gave these culturally specific findings such a prominent space on page two. I presume these two gentlemen are cutting edge researchers and their past works merit the attention of the varied societies in the world.
According to Manning, these supposedly eminent academics are proposing that some employers may want to consider permitting the use of profanity in the workplace from time to time because "it seems using a few expletives in your day-to-day communication at work could actually help to build team spirit".
Dr. Semaj reportedly agrees with the findings of the researchers, and I am presuming that their findings coincide with his own research on workplace behaviours.
Mrs. Hinchcliffe reportedly "acknowledges that there is some benefit in using expletives." However, she reminded the public that in Jamaica 'bad words' are illegal.
Ms. Parchment is credited with the view that "even though in a social context 'bad words' do in fact appear to build community and spirit, more so among men, there is no reason to advocate for it to be used more generally as a means of building cohesiveness".
After reading this article, I thought, "Get real." The use of expletives is not about freedom of expression, stress busting or social cohesiveness.
The use of the expletives, which have emerged out of a history tainted by colonialism, patriarchy, plantation slavery and misogyny, is a body of words which are designed to belittle, humiliate and reduce the vitality of women and girls.
The most venomous 'cuss words' are about women's body functions - menstrual cycle, body parts and sexuality.
BCs and RCs
Vivid imagination of the Jamaican citizenry have coined terms that not too many other cultures can comprehend. Their BCs and RCs have nothing to do with British Colombia or Roman Catholics. Day by day, women listen to degrading expletives in a variety of arenas - as they walk on the streets, pass construction sites, ride on public transportation and stand in lines at banks and other business places. Many also are laced with 'bad words' at home.
There is no indication that community cohesiveness is built on the widespread 'bad word' cursing in all sectors of the population. In fact, many Jamaicans know very well that important workplaces such as Jamaica House, the boardrooms of the nation, the shop floors and the church vestries are not immune to the foul language of the perverse and the powerful.
Expletives are used to put women in their place and to humiliate men who dare to stand up to their 'betters'.
No self-respecting Jamaican man wants to be defined in terms of women's body parts, and that is why so many bullying, power hungry, despicable men and their female sidekicks "cuss bad words" in the workplace.
At this time in Jamaica's history, we need to find ways and ideas that will contribute to decency, peace, justice and equality. We do not need to listen to any more 'bad words'. For five hundred years, we have been cussing and swearing at one another.
We have honed our language and put all kinds of variations on the words that are meant to hurt and diminish our essential humanity. Let us find a better way to have community cohesiveness and decent workplaces.
If the British need to cuss and swear more than they have in the past, let them come up with their home-grown language.
We Jamaicans have done enough cursing and swearing. It is time to find new modes of decent expressions and a set of values that encourage the youth to strive for the decency that their elders of both genders seem to lack.
Glenda P. Simms is a gender expert and consultant.
