In Education Curriculum Reform: Including diverse authors, histories of colonialism, and systemic inequality in syllabi.
Pronoun Use and Gender Identity: Encouraging staff and students to respect chosen pronouns and identities.
Anti-Racism Training: Workshops for teachers and students to address unconscious bias and institutional racism.
Decolonising the Curriculum: Re-examining Eurocentric narratives and integrating global perspectives.
In Media and Entertainment Inclusive Casting: Prioritising representation across race, gender, and sexuality in film and TV. (from one extreme to another in many cases).
Content Warnings: Adding trigger warnings for sensitive material (e.g., violence, trauma).
Platform Moderation: Removing or flagging content deemed harmful or offensive, often labelled as “cancel culture.”
Rewriting or Reimagining Classics: Updating older works to reflect modern values, sometimes controversially.
Critically Framed Examples These are often cited by critics as overreach or ideological enforcement:
Cancel Culture: Publicly shaming or deplatforming individuals for controversial views or past actions.
Race-Based Silencing: Discouraging certain voices based on perceived privilege or identity.
Digging Up Old Tweets: Using historical social media posts to discredit public figures.
Quotas Over Merit: Hiring or promoting based on identity targets rather than qualifications.
The term “woke” itself has evolved—from a call to awareness to a contested label. Its meaning often depends on who’s using it and why.
Let’s explore how so-called “woke agendas” show up in three key domains: education, media and public policy. These examples are often framed differently depending on one’s perspective; either as progressive reforms or ideological overreach.
