Saturday, March 6, 2010

So one thing I think is really important is to focus on using inclusive language. I want to spread the word as part of my project. I also need to focus on using it myself. As a woman, I still even use “man kind” instead of “human kind”. It is unintentional but I do think using male dominant language is a reflection of patriarchal values socialized into me, and helps to continue them. Instead of focusing on humanity as a whole, it focuses on man’s achievements and ignores women. It is important to reflect the value of women through our language. I found a good guide on gender-neutral language. It helps to explain why certain words carry certain connotations and need to be avoided. While it is silly to change things like “man-handle”, it is important to recognize women’s contributions by using “congress member” instead of “congressman”.

4 comments:

  1. It's so true that male dominant language is rampant. But it's so hard to change what have become commonplace words (mankind, congressman, etc.). I've become good about using gender neutral language in writing, but in conversation I still struggle.

    One of the biggest problems, in writing, is the lack of a gender-neutral pronoun. The guide you linked to has some great suggestions.

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  2. Maybe in order to understand mankind, we have to look at that word itself. MANKIND. Basically, it's made up of two separate words - "mank" and "ind." What do these words mean? It's a mystery, and that's why so is mankind.

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  3. Yeah, I agree it is so much easier to write with a gender neutral perspective than to talk that way. But if we don't try to change the male dominated language, it won't change.

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  4. I've noticed people (well, me, anyway) say "Hey, you guys" even if it includes girls.

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