Gender-neutral language
Gender-neutral language or gender-inclusive language is language that avoids reference towards a particular sex or gender. In English, this includes use of nouns that are not gender-specific to refer to roles or professions,
History
The notion that parts of the English language were sexist was brought to mainstream attention in Western English cultures by feminists in the 1970s.[19] Simultaneously, the link between language and ideologies (including traditional gender ideologies) was becoming apparent in the academic field of linguistics.[20] In 1975, the National Council of Teachers of English published a set of guidelines on the use of "non-sexist" language.[21][22] Backlash ensued, as did the debate on whether gender-neutral language ought to be enforced.[22][19] In Britain, feminist Maija Blaubergs' countered eight commonly used oppositional arguments in 1980.[23] In 1983, New South Wales, Australia required the use of they in place of he and she in subsequent laws.[24] In 1985, the Canadian Corporation for Studies in Religion passed a motion for all its ensuing publications to include "non-sexist" language.[25] By 1995, academic institutions in Canada and Britain had implemented "non-sexist" language policies.[26][27] More recently, revisions to the Women's Press publications of The Handbook of Nonsexist Writing and The A–Z of Non-Sexist Language were made to de-radicalize the original works.[27] In 2006, "non-sexist" was challenged: the term refers solely to the absence of sexism.[27] In 2018, the State of New York enacted policy to formally use the gender-neutral terms police officer and firefighter.[24]
Terminology and views
General
The examples and perspective in this section deal primarily with English language and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (November 2023) |
Historically, the use of masculine pronouns in place of generic was regarded as non-sexist, but various forms of gender-neutral language have become a common feature in written and spoken versions of many languages in the late twentieth century.
Various languages employ different means to achieve gender neutrality:
- Gender neutrality in languages with grammatical gender
- Gender neutrality in genderless languages
- Gender neutrality in English
Other particular issues are also discussed:
- Gender marking in job titles
- Gender-specific and gender-neutral pronouns
Gender indication
There are different approaches in forming a "gender-neutral language":
- Neutralising any reference to gender or sex, like using "they" as a third-person singular pronoun instead of "he" or "she", and proscribing words like actress (female actor) and prescribing the use of words like actor for persons of any gender. Although it has generally been accepted in the English language, some argue that using "they" as a singular pronoun is considered grammatically incorrect, but acceptable in informal writing.[34]
- Creating alternative gender-neutral pronouns, such as "hir" or "hen" in Swedish.[35]
- Indicating the gender by using wordings like "he or she" and "actors and actresses".
- Avoiding the use of "him/her" or the third-person singular pronoun "they" by using "the" or restructuring the sentence all together to avoid all three.[34]
- NASA now prefers the use of "crewed" and "uncrewed" instead of "manned" and "unmanned", including when discussing historical spaceflight (except proper nouns).[36]
Gendered title | Gender-neutral title |
---|---|
businessman, businesswoman | business person/person in business, business people/people in business |
chairman, chairwoman | chair, chairperson |
mailman, mailwoman, postman, postwoman | mail carrier, letter carrier, postal worker |
policeman, policewoman | police officer |
salesman, saleswoman | salesperson, sales associate, salesclerk, sales executive |
steward, stewardess | flight attendant |
waiter, waitress | server, table attendant, waitron |
fireman, firewoman | firefighter |
barman, barwoman | bartender |
Controversy
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2021) |
Argentina
Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires, implemented a policy in June 2022 that forbade public educational institutions from using gender-neutral language on the basis that gender-neutral language is grammatically incorrect and causes developmental learning issues for students.[38] In the Spanish language nouns are either feminine (usually ending in "a") or masculine (usually ending in "o"), but in recent years gender-neutral endings like "x" and "e" have gained popularity; for example, "Latinx" or "Latine" have become the gender-neutral options for the previously binary "Latino" or "Latina."[39] Buenos Aires' objection to gender-neutral language in the classroom stems from concerns about linguistic correctness and preservation of the Spanish language.[38] Those who support the development of gender-neutral language have expressed frustration with the male-dominance of the Spanish language: a group of students who are all female is "compañeras," but if one male student enters the group, the grammatically correct term for the students becomes "compañeros" with the masculine "o" ending.[39]
Canada
University of Toronto psychology professor Jordan Peterson uploaded a video to YouTube expressing his opposition to Bill C-16 – An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code, a bill introduced by Justin Trudeau's government, in October 2016.[40] The proposed piece of legislation was to add the terms "gender identity" and "gender expression" to the Canadian Human Rights Act and to the Criminal Code's hate crimes provisions.[40] In the video, Peterson argued that legal protection of gender pronouns results in "compelled speech", which would violate the right to freedom of expression outlined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.[40] In the view of Peterson, legal pronoun protections would force an individual to say something that one opposes. The bill passed in the House of Commons and in the Senate, becoming law once it received Royal Assent on 19 June 2017.[41] In response to the passing of the bill, Peterson has stated he will not use gender-neutral pronouns if asked in the classroom by a student.[40]
France
In 2021, controversy spiked in
Jean-Michel Blanquer, the French Minister of Education, publicly tweeted: "inclusive writing is not the future of the French language."[43] Similarly, François Jolivet, a French politician, accused the dictionary of pushing a "woke" ideology that "undermines [their] common language and its influence", in a letter addressed to the Académie Française.[44] The controversy weighs into the ongoing debate regarding masculine dominance in the French language.
Italy
The
The use of a schwa <ə> has been suggested to create an Italian gender-neutral language option.[46] Some Italian linguists have signed a petition opposing the use of the schwa on the basis it is not linguistically correct.[47] Other solutions proposed are the asterisk <*>, the <x>, the at sign <@>, the <u> and omitting gender-specific suffixes altogether.[48]
United States
The
Philippines
The
See also
In specific languages
Related topics
- Epicenity
- Gender in Bible translation
- Gender binary
- Gender neutrality
- Gender role
- Genderless language
- Generic antecedent
- International Gender and Language Association, an interdisciplinary academic organization
- Markedness
- Non-binary gender
- Unisex name
- Gender-neutral pronoun
- Neopronoun
- Spivak pronoun
- Ri (pronoun), Esperanto
- Elle (Spanish pronoun)
- Hen (pronoun), Swedish
- Iel (pronoun), French
- Neopronoun
- Pronoun game
- Feminist language reform
- Lavender linguistics
- Gender marking in job titles
References
- ISBN 978-0-19-966135-0.
- ISSN 1421-0185.
- ^ "policeman - Definition and pronunciation - Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com". Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ^ "policeman definition, meaning - what is policeman in the British English Dictionary & Thesaurus - Cambridge Dictionaries Online". Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ^ "stewardess - Definition and pronunciation - Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com". Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ^ "steward definition, meaning - what is steward in the British English Dictionary & Thesaurus - Cambridge Dictionaries Online". Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ^ "police officer - Definition and pronunciation - Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com". Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ^ "police officer definition, meaning - what is police officer in the British English Dictionary & Thesaurus - Cambridge Dictionaries Online". Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ^ "flight attendant - Definition and pronunciation - Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com". Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ^ "flight attendant definition, meaning - what is flight attendant in the British English Dictionary & Thesaurus - Cambridge Dictionaries Online". Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ^ "actor - Definition and pronunciation - Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com". Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ^ "actress - Definition and pronunciation - Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com". Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ^ "actor definition, meaning - what is actor in the British English Dictionary & Thesaurus - Cambridge Dictionaries Online". Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ^ "chairman - Definition and pronunciation - Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com". Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ^ "chairman definition, meaning - what is chairman in the British English Dictionary & Thesaurus - Cambridge Dictionaries Online". Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ^ Lowry, Howard. "Tone: A Matter of Attitude". Grammar.ccc.commnet.edu. Archived from the original on 2015-06-27. Retrieved 2015-01-28.
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- ^ ISSN 0148-0685.
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- ^ "Statement on Gender and Language". NCTE. 25 October 2018. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
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- ^ Carolyn Jacobson. "Some Notes on Gender-Neutral Language". Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
- ^ "Gender neutral language - Nonbinary.org". nonbinary.org. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
- ^ ISBN 9780203715369.
- ^ Flanagan, J. (March 1, 2013). "The Use and Evolution of Gender Neutral Language in an Intentional Community". Women & Gender.
- ^ "Leitfaden der Gleichstellungsbeauftragten zur geschlechtersensiblen und inklusiven Sprache" (in German). Gleichstellungsbeauftragte an der Universität zu Köln. 21 January 2014. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
- ^ "Tips for Using Inclusive, Gender Neutral Language". Marquette University. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
- ^ a b "Gender Neutral Language in Writing". www.skillsyouneed.com. Retrieved 2015-10-22.
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- ^ "Style Guide for NASA History Authors and Editors". Retrieved 2019-11-02.
- ^ Government of Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada. "Guidelines for gender-neutral language - Language articles - Language Portal of Canada". www.noslangues-ourlanguages.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 2015-11-03.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
- ^ a b "A New Effort In Argentina Seeks To Make Spanish Nouns Gender Neutral". NPR.org. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
- ^ S2CID 149592656.
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- ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
- ^ Wagener, Albin (8 December 2021). "No need to 'iel': why France is so angry about a gender-neutral pronoun". The Conversation. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
- ^ "New word "iel", a combination of he and she, added to French dictionary ignites fierce debate". www.9news.com.au. 20 November 2021. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
- ^ a b c "Language, gender and sexism: an overview on English and Italian languages". thesis.unipd.it. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
- ^ "Un asterisco sul genere - Consulenza Linguistica - Accademia della Crusca". accademiadellacrusca.it. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
- ^ Catarinella, P., Malek, M. R. A., Kram, S., & Ridzuan, M. U. M. (2022). "The "Schwa" and its Impact on Italian Language and Society" (PDF). International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences. 12 (10): 1978–1997.
{{cite journal}}
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- ^ Bautista, Jane (March 9, 2024). "SC reminds judges, lawyers of gender-fair language rule". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
Further reading
- Bojarska, Katarzyna (2012). "Responding to lexical stimuli with gender associations: A Cognitive–Cultural Model". Journal of Language and Social Psychology. 32: 46. S2CID 145006661.
- Chen, Jenn-Yeu; Su, Jui-Ju (2010-12-01). "Differential Sensitivity to the Gender of a Person by English and Chinese Speakers". Journal of Psycholinguistic Research. 40 (3): 195–203. S2CID 38881498.
- Gabriel, Ute; Behne, Dawn M.; Gygax, Pascal M. (2017-05-17). "Speech vs. reading comprehension: an explorative study of gender representations in Norwegian". Journal of Cognitive Psychology. 29 (7): 795–808. S2CID 54827137.
- Gabriel, Ute; Gygax, Pascal M.; Kuhn, Elisabeth A. (2018-07-19). "Neutralising linguistic sexism: Promising but cumbersome?". Group Processes & Intergroup Relations. 21 (5): 844–858. S2CID 150025630.
- Gabriel, Ute; Gygax, Pascal (October 2008). "Can societal language amendments change gender representation? The case of Norway". Scandinavian Journal of Psychology. 49 (5): 451–457. PMID 18452502.
- Gustafsson Sendén, Marie; Bäck, Emma A.; Lindqvist, Anna (2015-07-01). "Introducing a gender-neutral pronoun in a natural gender language: the influence of time on attitudes and behavior". Frontiers in Psychology. 6: 893. PMID 26191016.
- Lindqvist, Anna; Renström, Emma Aurora; Gustafsson Sendén, Marie (2018-10-16). "Reducing a Male Bias in Language? Establishing the Efficiency of Three Different Gender-Fair Language Strategies". Sex Roles. 81 (1–2): 109–117. ISSN 0360-0025.
- Miller, Megan M.; James, Lori E. (2009). "Is the generic pronoun he still comprehended as excluding women?". The American Journal of Psychology. 122 (4): 483–496. S2CID 44644673.
- Prewitt-Freilino, Jennifer L.; Caswell, T. Andrew; Laakso, Emmi K. (2012). "The Gendering of Language: A Comparison of Gender Equality in Countries with Gendered, Natural Gender, and Genderless Languages". Sex Roles. 66 (3–4): 268–281. S2CID 145066913.