Revising to Make Language More Inclusive

Public awareness of gender discrimination in language has increased markedly since the mid-1970s. Partly because it has, and partly because change has not yet gone far enough, it is worth affirming this declaration of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE):

Language plays a central role in the way human beings think and behave . . . [hence we] need to promote language that opens rather than closes possibilities for women and men.

Eliza Blake, former copy editor of The Guilfordian, notes "there are a lot of problems . . . that make it difficult to let the world know that 'Everyman' is not male, that a good scientist does not always double check his results, but quite often her results, and that a nurse that is male does not need to be called a male nurse."

Sexist language can originate from improper choices in (1) vocabulary and (2) grammar. Here are some general suggestions to help you avoid either kind. Most of the material is drawn verbatim from a document entitled "Guidelines for Nonsexist Use of Language in NCTE Publications."

(1) Vocabulary

The two chief problems connected with vocabulary involve use of generic "man" and stereotyping of sex roles. Regarding the first: since the word man has come to refer almost exclusively to adult males, it is sometimes difficult to recognize its generic meaning. Thus:

problems mankind man's achievements the best man for the job the common man cavemen

alternatives humanity, human beings, people human achievements the best person for the job the average person, ordinary people cave dwellers, prehistoric people

Sometimes the combining form -woman is used alongside -man in occupational terms and job titles, but to be preferred is the use of the same titles for men and women when naming jobs that could be held by both. Thus:

problems chairman/chairwoman businessman/businesswoman congressman/congresswoman salesman/saleswoman fireman mailman

alternatives chair, coordinator, chairperson business executive, manager congressional representative sales clerk, salesperson fire fighter letter carrier

Regarding sex-role stereotyping:

(a) Diminutive or special forms to name women are usually unnecessary.

problems stewardess waitress poetess coed lady lawyer

alternatives flight attendant waitperson poet student lawyer . . . she

(b) Do not represent women as occupying only certain jobs or roles and men as occupying only certain others, especially if such choices reflect unfortunate and unconscious assumptions--for example that men are valued for their accomplishments and women for their physical attributes, or that men are strong and brave while women are weak and timid.

problems the kindergarten teacher . . . she the principal . . . he Have your mother send a snack Writers become so involved in their work that they neglect their wives and children.

alternatives [occasionally use] the kindergarten teacher. . . he, or kindergarten teachers . . . they [occasionally use] the principal . . . she, or principals . . . they Have a parent send . . . Writers become so involved in their work that they neglect their families.

(c) Treat men and women in a parallel fashion.

problems The class interviewed Chief Justice Burger and Mrs. O'Connor The reading list included Proust, Joyce, Gide, and Virginia Woolf.

alternatives The class interviewed Mr. Burger and Ms. O'Connor or . . . Chief Justice Burger and Justice O'Connor. The reading list included Proust, Joyce, Gide, and Woolf.

(d) Avoid language that patronizes or trivializes women as well as that which reinforces stereotyped images of both women and men.

problems Joan is a career woman. The ladies on the committee all supported the proposal. This is a man-sized job. That's just an old wives' tale.

alternatives Joan is a professional. The women on the committee all supported the proposal. This is a big (huge, enormous) job. That's just a superstition.

(2) Grammar

Because there is no one pronoun in English that can effectively substitute for "he" or "his," several alternatives have arisen. The form "he or she" has been the official NCTE style over the last fifteen years, on the premise that it is less distracting than "she or he" or "he/she." There are other choices, however:

(a) Sometimes it is possible to drop the possessive form "his" altogether or to substitute an article.

problems The average student is worried about his grades. When the student hands in his paper, read it immediately.

alternatives The average student is worried  about grades. When the student hands in the paper, read it immediately.

(b) Often it makes sense to use the plural instead of the singular.

problem Ask the student to finish his assignment as soon as he is finished.

alternative Ask students to hand in their work as soon as they are finished.

(c) In some situations, the pronoun "one" ("one's") can be substituted for "he" ("his"), but it should be used sparingly.

problem He might well wonder what his response should be.

alternative One might well wonder what the response should be.

(d) A sentence with "he" or "his" can sometimes be recast in the passive voice.

problem Each student should report his results promptly.

alternative All results should be reported promptly.

(e) When the subject is an indefinite pronoun, the plural form "their" can occasionally be used with it, especially when the referent for the pronoun is clearly understood to be plural.

problem When everyone contributes his own ideas, the discussion will be a success.

alternative When everyone contributes their own ideas, the discussion will be a success.

Finally, regarding the issue of sexist language in a direct quotation: Quotations cannot be altered. But there are ways to deal with a perceived problem:

1. Avoid the quotation altogether if it is not really necessary.
2. Paraphrase the quotation, giving the original author credit.
3. If the quotation is fairly short, recast it as an indirect quotation, substituting nonsexist words as necessary.

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