In researching this project, we have come across literature in various fields of research, ranging from linguistics to critical theory and comparative literature. To share our understanding of the topic of linguistic relativity, and how it relates to PC language and bilingualism, we have summarised and evaluated the literature we have read and applied in this research. We have structured this literature review by dividing it into three subsections: linguistic relativity, PC language, and bilingualism, for convenience of access. The literature could largely be divided into 1. studies that focus on the theory of linguistic relativity or research topics that closely relate to and can constructively add to the understanding of linguistic relativity, 2. essays and studies on the subject of PC language and its effectiveness, ranging from critiques of PC culture, to research on linguistic phenomena that explain semantics of why or why not PC culture and verbal hygiene is effective, and 3. research on how bilingualism interacts with prejudicial cognition and language use.
In reviewing the literature, we have focused on explaining the key findings and theoretical concepts that are explored, and summarising key research and studies that support and lends itself as evidence for the points the researchers are making. In addition, we have tried to demonstrate how each article relates to the central research question of this project by focusing on what extent the research is suggesting that language interacts and influences prejudice (or in some more general research, cognition as a whole). Some research also focuses on the application of linguistic relativity or build on top of a perspective on language and prejudice interaction in order to explore secondary topics of this project, such as the effectiveness of PC language, or how language can be used to counteract implicit prejudice.