The Struggle for Genderfree Language

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The Struggle for Gender-free Language

• Is It Over Yet?
• By Jane Rea
• PowerPoint Presentation
• By Alicia Whitehead
• March 16, 2006

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The Problems Bias-free Language Presents

• Imprecision wordiness
• Awkward flow of pronunciation
• Content-free writing

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Litmus Tests

• The all-purpose he we love to hate
• One term for all and all terms inclusive
• Reinventing the flat tire?

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The All-purpose He We Love to Hate

• The Generic He Is Not Inclusive

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Presents Problem 1

• Solution
• Use we or you to make the meaning more inclusive
• Make the subject and verb plural with plural
  referents.
• Ex editorhis but editorstheir, is inclusive

• Problem
• Changes the context does not always fit in with
  surrounding text when changing the subject and
  verb to plural.

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Problem 2

• Imprecision wordiness
• Replacing he with their to represent a singular
  meaning can become unclear.
• Replacing he with he or she is not only clumsy
  but unnecessary (Roy H. Copperud).
• Overall, replacing he with preferred language is
  more acceptable in spoken than in written
  language.

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One Term for All and All Terms Inclusive
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Inclusive Terms to Gender-specific Terms

• Examples
• Policeman-police officer
• Fireman-fire fighter
• Salesman-sales clerk

• Purpose
• Meaning is not lost
• Language remains smooth, not awkward

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The Problem With Gender-specific Terms

• Examples
• Committee head or chairperson
• Chair does not work as a formal title
• However, the alternatives chairman or chairwoman
  is not inclusive
• Forefather
• This has the masculine form
• However, the alternatives ancestor and forebear
  have slightly different meanings

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Reinventing the Flat Tire?

• Alternative Words That Are Not Considered
  Gender-biased

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Alternative Words That Work

• Mastermind
• Genius and plotter (noun)
• Oversee and guide (verb)
• Different meaning

• Craftsmanship
• Gamesmanship

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Conclusion

• Gender-free writing presents many problems such
  as imprecision, awkward flow of language and loss
  of content.
• Editors and writers are faced with the challenge
  of making language inclusive without losing
  substance to the meaning.

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Any Questions?
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Thank You!