Finding the right words
Should the job title ‘gamekeeper’ be phased out in favour of ‘conservation manager’? Some of you may snort in disgust at the very idea, thinking it political correctness gone mad. Others might say it’s a more appropriate description in an age when the word ‘gamekeeper’ is too easily tarnished with Victorian imagery and attitudes. We can argue about such things, but that in itself proves one thing: words matter.
Our choice of words can be tribal. It can be used to show solidarity, or for virtue signalling. For example, the antis label hunting activities ‘bloodsports’. Clearly, this is a prejudicial term. It has campaigning connotations and is more often used to describe shooting and hunting than fishing or falconry for that
