TOPIC: SEXIST LANGUAGE

Difference between SEX and GENDER:

 Sex refers to the biological and anatomical differences between males and females.
 Gender refers to the culturally constructed meanings, behaviors, and attitudes associated with
what it means to be male or female in a given society.

What is Sexist Language?

Sexist language is language that excludes either men or women when discussing a topic that is
applicable to both sexes. Underlying sexist language is gender bias, which can occur consciously or
unconsciously. When unconscious, the gender bias in language can be considered to be the product of
society: other people use sexist language, and repetition normalizes it until the speaker unconsciously
produces his or her own sexist language where men are the norm and women the "other."

What does it mean to be a Sexism?

Sexism may be defined as an ideology based on the belief that one sex is superior to another. It is
discrimination, prejudice, or stereotyping on the basis of gender, and is most often expressed toward
girls and women. It has been characterized as the "hatred of women" and "entrenched prejudice against
women".

In writing, we can use (s)he, he/she, him/her or his/her to refer to both sexes at the same time.
When speaking formally, we say he or she and his or her:

Examples:

 The teacher is the person who organises the class. (S)he is the one who controls timekeeping
and the sequence of events.
 A police officer should remember that he/she is a public servant and should therefore always be
polite. It is his/her duty to assist the public.
 University administrator: "Could each candidate please leave his or her exam registration form
at the office before midday, please?"

We can use they, them, their and theirs to refer to both sexes at the same time, even when a
singular noun has been used, although some people consider this unacceptable. However, in present-
day English, this usage is becoming more accepted:

Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/dictionary.cambridge.org/amp/british-grammar/people-and-
places/sexist-language
Examples:

 Every student must show their identity card on entering the examination room. (preferred to
Every student must show his identity card.)
 A nurse has to be very open and understanding. They must listen to their patients and respond
to them. (preferred to She must listen to her patients. or He must listen to his patients.)

TRADITIONAL FORM NEUTRAL ALTERNATIVE

Fireman Firefighter

Policeman; Policewoman Police officer

Headmaster; Headmistress Head teacher or head

Waiter; Waitress Server

How to Avoid Sexist Language

Remember that the goal is not to avoid referring to individual people as male or female; the goal
is to be inclusionary when speaking in hypothetical statements or of mixed-gender groups.

1. Use humanity or the human race instead of man or mankind when you are referring to all
people.
2. If you are speaking of a single hypothetical individual, use person instead of man.
3. Use genderless titles whenever possible, such as flight attendant instead of stewardess,
firefighter instead of fireman, and homemaker instead of housewife. Avoid adding gender
markers to genderless titles, such as male nurse; use the genderless title alone (i.e., nurse).
4. Rework sentences in the plural to avoid gendered pronouns and possessive adjectives. This will
create smoother and more grammatically correct prose than using a plural pronoun with a
singular subject. (Sexist: Each student makes up his own schedule. Grammatically incorrect:
Each student makes up their own schedule. Gender-neutral and grammatically correct: Students
make up their own schedules.)
5. When it is not possible to recast sentences in the plural, use he or she or his or her to be
inclusive. (The winning contestant must claim his or her prize by Tuesday.) However, using this
formulation too often can break up the flow of your writing, so use it sparingly.

Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/dictionary.cambridge.org/amp/british-grammar/people-and-
places/sexist-language