Reclamation

Reclamation is the process of taking a term of derision and reevaluating the derided subject, or repurposing the term as part of a pride movement.

Reclaiming identity slurs

In political activism, for instance, the gay liberation movement reclaimed the terms "gay" and "queer". Homer Simpson gave the classic critique of such reclamation:

Homer: They [queers] turned the Navy into a floating joke. They ruined all our best names like Bruce and Lance and Julian. Those were the toughest names we had! Now they're just...

John: Queer?

Homer: Yeah, and that's another thing! I resent you people using that word. That's our word for making fun of you! We need it!

Many terms are partially reclaimed -- acceptable for in-group use or under certain circumstances, but still insulting or threatening in other circumstances. Even terms that would be viewed as largely reclaimed (such as "queer") may not be reclaimed for all members of the community. Numerous gender, ethnic, and other slurs have been partially reclaimed ("queer", "faggot", "dyke", "cunt", "bitch", "nigger", "redneck"). For instance, the term "cunt" is used by some women to describe their bodies, but it is also still in current use as an insult. In either situation, the level of offensiveness varies: Some people still feel this is one of the ugliest names to call a woman; other people wouldn't take it that seriously; and others would feel the level of offense varying depending on circumstance. Similarly, some people feel offended by the term applied descriptively as slang for a woman's genitals, and other people prefer the term.

Reclaiming cultural products

The term also applies beyond names for people and groups of people. Numerous cultural products were formerly derided and then reclaimed, their contents, contributions, styles, and merits reconsidered. Since much of the work that women have produced has been under-rated or derided, this form of reclamation can be a significant feminist project. For instance, Janice A. Radway's work, Reading the Romance: Women, Patriarchy, and Popular Culture examined the much derided romance genre, reclaiming it as a site of serious investigation. Creators within SF have reclaimed the genre, taking the term which was often treated as slightly embarrassing and brandishing it with an air of pride.

This sort of reclamation can be seen in many pride movements associated with disenfranchised or discriminated-against groups of people. Reconsideration of works hitherto viewed with scorn by the elite members of the academy, or ignored by major publishers in the field, can be a central concern of pride movements.

For instance, much of the work from the 1970s on in revisiting "The Canon" -- Greek and Roman literature of the classic periods, English literature from Chaucer on, and a smattering of other European works -- was a product of new scholars and old scholars re-examining works from other parts of the world, other classes, other genders, other languages, other traditions, and reclaiming it as valuable. Of course this provoked a backlash, but the "damage" was already done: Primary, secondary, and post-secondary students everywhere now recognize that "The Canon" is not the only set of significant works in history or even Western history, and that "The Canon" is just one of many canons. Moreover, the deconstruction of The Canon continues in cultural studies programs which examine numerous products of culture, from the low to the high, evaluating their individual merits and functions in society.