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Swearing at Work is Bleeping Good For You
coondoggie writes "This is the kind of news that your HR folks don't want to hear, but researchers today said letting workers swear at will in the workplace can benefit employees and employers.
The study found regular use of profanity to express and reinforce solidarity among staff, enabling them to express their feelings, such as frustration, and develop social relationships, according to researchers at the University of East Anglia (UES). Researchers said their aim was to challenge leadership styles and suggest ideas for best practice. "Employees use swearing on a continuous basis, but not necessarily in a negative, abusive manner. Swearing was as a social phenomenon to reflect solidarity and enhance group cohesiveness, or as a psychological phenomenon to release stress, " the study stated." I'm sure the discussion and tags on this story will be completely G Rated ;)
Shouldn't that be "University of East Anglia (UEA)" ?
for use of vulgar language in meetings...
how can getting fired be healthy for you? (unless your in a dead end job and need the catalyst to get off your duff and go get a career)
"Just Smile and Nod." --Huck
Here's the actual release from the source, rather than a Network World recap.
FUBAR
Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition. I think this is a phrase that originated in the military during WWII (The Great Patriotic War, to the Soviets). SNAFU
Situation Normal, All Fucked Up. I think this one originated in the military around the time of the Korean War or Vietnam.
We have always been at war with Eurasia!
I grew up in Britain but now work in America. When I figure I can get away with it, and when the situation calls for it, I sometimes let loose with a well-timed swear word. I can sense that my fully american colleagues are always a little bit shocked, however I also feel it REALLY gets their attention, and thus can be a good thing.
For example, I told my (then current) boss that the interference from her (then) boss had gotten completely out of hand. The way I phrased it was "I have nearly gotten to the point of just telling him to fuck off". That would be such a flagrant breach of protocol that I'm glad I didn't, however just /mentioning/ the word made the situation crystal clear (mention as oppose to use - it was hypothetical swearing).
In fact, work is almost the last frontier where swearing is still effective, and so it's the only place where's really still worthwhile. I suppose if I swore at customer support from some vendor it would also have an effect, but I have too much sympathy for what those people put up with.
Out on the street, or on public transport, however, swearing is just like noise on the signal. Any ten-year old kid can be overheard using "fuck, shit, motherfucker". One of the few words that still has some kick to it, for some reason, is "cunt". I think the most memorable usage was still in the Bridget Jones movie...
A nice superficial analysis - but as a counterpoint, I offer the US military. Service members communicate and bond, even without combat service, despite being restricted in dress, and hours, and behavior, and a dozen other ways that would your average individual begging to be returned to his safe and comfortable cubicle. I've also seen and read about teams from the blue suit corporate world deeply bonded.
Or, in short... your conclusion does not follow from your thesis.
I'll take a guess that you're american, seeing as at the schools here in the UK, it's only the word 'insensitive' that gets omitted. And as I understand it, the USA does not like the French due to opposition to the Iraq invasion, cheese-jealousy, etc. Hence 'freedom fries' and so forth. (Stick with me, I'm going somewhere with this). So if you wish to say fucking and cunt, you can justify it as resisting French oppression. You see both Fuck and Cunt are genuine English words with a long history and weren't always considered vulgar. This all changed with the Norman invasion of England, when the French speaking invaders turned everything upside down and the language of the court and nobility became French (the Lingua Franca, if you'll forgive me). Not only did the sycophantic nobility of England use French, but the aspiring well-to-do also put on airs and graces and adopted french. And the use of English words became looked down on and a sign that one was lower class. Indeed, the word vulgar is actually just Latin for common. The entire prejudice against these words is, essentially, a class thing.
As a country with a good solid founding in patriotism and Francophobia, I believe that you should embrace such words and I encourage you to boldy explain such to your tutors, denouncing them as French-loving sycophants if they disagree; and declare that all americans should be proud of their cunts and generous with their fucks. If you are criticised for use of either of these words, the correct response is not sorry, but "WHY DO YOU HATE CHAUCER?"
So good luck with the fucking and the cunt. I'm afraid I'm not much good on the insensitive, but I don't let that stop me.
Regards,
-H.
Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
The way I look at it is that if you swear all the time, what do you say in those situations where you really need to let loose?
You say it louder.