UNIT 8

Gender-Fair Language

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 LESSON 8.1
The Use of Gender-fair Language: A Key to Gender
Equality

Lesson Outcomes

At the end of this lesson, you should have:

1. described the role of language in the transmission and preservation
of culture;
2. assessed how sexist language serves as a form of discrimination;
and
3. translated sexist into gender-fair language.

Activate

Consider this situation: You are in a certain place where there are no
words being uttered…just signs and gestures… How do you think, existence or
life would be? What expression would you be wearing? In a sentence or 2, tell
why? Check the emoji of your expression and use the space below for your
explanation.

SAD Excited Bored Satisfied I don’t know

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Introduction

Imagine yourself without language. That’s hard, isn’t it? Yes it is

simply because language is the depository or repository of culture, where
everything in peoples’ lifestyle is found. It plays a vital role in giving us our way
of communicating as we live with others in the community. It is an important
vehicle that enable us to express and transmit our ideas, feeling and values not
just in our community but with the rest of the world.

Remember, our language can be our identity. Language is an important

part of any society, because it enables people to communicate and express
themselves. When a language dies out, future generations lose a vital part of
the culture that is necessary to completely understand it.

Acquire

A. The importance of language

Language plays a central role in human cognition and

behavior and is one of the most common mechanism by which
gender is constructed and reinforced (Women Literacy and Life
Assembly). Language plays a lot of important roles in the existence of people in
their own community and as citizens of the world. The following are some of
these:

1. Language is vehicle for the transmission of culture.

Language refers to a symbolic system with standardized meanings.
It is one of the most vital components of culture. Language is the most
important vehicle for transmitting and expressing wisdom, feelings,
knowledge, and values. Through language culture is transmitted from one
individual to another and from one generation to generation through a
process called enculturation. The young ones learns from their adults.
Indeed, culture is learned.

2. Language is our major mode of communication.

Language is our major mode of communication upon which
information is transferred. Peoples in various societies use a variety of
terms that are used to described kinship relations, classify animals and
plants, and describe other socio linguistic things and physically
phenomena. The overriding importance of verbal language is the
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 transmitter of culture, allowing us to share and pass on our complex
configuration of attitudes, beliefs and patterns of behavior. We
communicate by agreeing, consciously or unconsciously, to call an object,
a movement, or an abstract concept by a common name. Like English
speakers have agreed to call the color or grass green, even though we do
not have a way of comparing precisely how two persons actually
experience this color.

3. Language give us our identity.

The relationship between language and society as studied by
sociolinguists focus on the social context of language. Social interaction
and ways in which people use particular linguistic expressions that reflects
dialect patterns of their speech community. Studies shows that many
languages have subtle nuances in linguistic usage, such as greeting
patterns and even in their speech patterns, their age, gender, and status
are manifested. Accordingly, there is language of the youth, language of
the rich and famous, language of the nobility or language of the “common
tao.” Hence, your language identifies who you are and your status in life.

Culture is a defining feature of a person’s identity, contributing to

how they see themselves and the groups with which they are identified.
Every community, cultural group or ethnic group has its own values, beliefs
and ways of living and all these are found in their own language. Language
is the storehouse of culture, remember?

4. Language pave way for continuity of traditional culture. It facilitates

understanding of various cultures of the world. When a language dies out,
future generations lose a vital part of the culture that is necessary to
completely understand it. Many tribes in different parts of the world are
now suffering from the unprecedented extinction of their unique culture as
modernization is rushing in penetrating the hearts and minds of their
young. And as modern education failed to include in the methodologies of
educating and enculturating in the mind of the young members of the
community the importance of education for their survival, their native
language dies as their old traditional ways are being replaced by the new
ideas and technologies.

Cultural and linguistic diversity is a feature of most nations today as

people from different groups live together as a consequence of historical
events and human migrations. – https.//www.racismnoway.comau/about-
racism/understanding/glossary.html#culturaldiversity.

5. Language create gaps and caused discrimination.

Certain masculine language that connotes importance in society
such as managers, political leaders, and managers that are often referred
to as male jobs. While certain female associated works that connotes
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 incompetence and low status create wider gap between these sexes as
well as discrimination.

The material aspects of culture such as food, clothing, celebrations,

religion and language are only part of a person’s cultural heritage. The
shared values, customs and histories characteristic of culture shape the
way a person thinks, behaves and views the world. A shared cultural
heritage bonds the members of the group together and creates a sense of
belonging through community acceptance. Language is intrinsic to the
expression of culture. As a means of communicating values, beliefs and
customs, it has an important social function and fosters feelings of group
identity and solidarity. It is the means by which culture and its traditions
and shared values may be conveyed and preserved.

6. Language is not confined solely on verbal language.

While it is true that human beings do communicate more through

verbal language as a better accepted ways of getting connected with
others, non verbal communication that is usually lumped into kinesis (body
gestures), proxemics ( study of manipulation and meaning of space) and
paralanguage or non verbal) sometimes convey an even a stronger
message than words can do. Non verbal communication varies across the
world, but some appears to be universally understood and or only
understood by certain groups who created them.

B. Role of language in the transmission and preservation of

(traditional//Tribal) culture.

It is said that the lost of the complete unique

culture always ac-companies the lost of the
language. This becomes a reality and is evidently
true to the many IP communities here and there.

In the study of Dorothy M. Still Smoking on the Blackfeet Tribe

(Blackfeet Reservation the largest in population of Montana's seven
reservations and has been one of the most traditional in the practice of
cultural beliefs and events), the result showed that as elders recognize
the crucial importance of education for their survival, education is nothing if
it entails not being able to speak the language. Failure to retain the
language has weakened the tribe’s culture and is threatening to the tribe’s
knowledge. They believe that the true knowledge of their people rests in
the language. The elders in the community want their children to speak the
language. But this is not supported by the western modern public
educational system. It is failing!

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 The study further revealed that the family’s way/role of transmitting
tribal knowledge has been severely weakened due to the fact that formal
educational institutions do not transmit tribal knowledge, language, or
cultural elements as part of their learning process. Western education is
highly valued but seldom attained.

Other researches revealed the importance of language in the

identity of people. Language is what they considered as an important
vehicle where their uniqueness as people and the treasures/wealth of their
kind can be preserved. The elders hold knowledge sacred. This knowledge
can only be obtained through their language.

The loss of language means the loss of culture and identity. In many
societies throughout history, the suppression of the languages of minority
groups has been used as a deliberate policy in order to suppress those
minority cultures. As a result a large number of the world’s languages have
been lost with the processes of colonization and migration.

Time Out 1
Apply

1. What would you lose if you lose your language? Express your own
personal thoughts in 3-5 sentences. Use the box below for your answer.

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 2. Exercise/Activities: after learning the roles of language in the transmission
and preservation of culture and its importance on a person’s identity.
Please take a minute or two to ponder upon the beautiful statements about
language. In 2-3 sentences, express your own thoughts about the ideas
presented. Write your thoughts on the space provided.

Language is fundamental to cultural

identity. This is true for people everywhere.
For their unique world is expressed in their
language. For this reason, it is important that
people keep their own language alive.
- Kakadu National Park, Warradjan
Aboriginal Cultural Centre, NT

As languages disappear, cultures die. The

world becomes inherently a less interesting
place, but we also sacrifice raw knowledge
and the intellectual achievements of millennia.
- Ken Hale, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, quoted in Davis, W. 1999.

C. Gender-fair language (GFL)

Gender Fair Language otherwise known as gender- inclusive

language is the language that avoids bias towards a particular sex or social
gender. Its intention is to reduce gender bias in one’s mental
representation, or mental understanding of an idea. Generally applies to
nouns, pronouns, role pronouns and possessive nouns. - (Wikipedia.org)

1. Aim of Gender Fair Language

The use of gender fair language aims at reducing gender

stereotyping and discrimination. Studies revealed that there are two
principle strategies that have been employed to make languages gender-
fair and to treat women and men symmetrically. These are neutralization
and feminization.
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  Neutralization is achieved, for example, by replacing male-
masculine forms (policeman) with gender-unmarked forms
(police officer).

 Feminization relies on the use of feminine forms to make female

referents visible (i.e., the applicant… he or she instead of the
applicant… he).

2. How Gender Fair Language Contributes to the reduction of gender

stereotyping and discrimination.
-Main source of the notes in these topic is taken from : http://www.itn

The way gender is encoded in a language may be associated with

societal gender equality (Stahlberg et al., 2007). Countries with
grammatical gender languages, according to the study, were found to
reach lower levels of social gender equality than countries with natural
gender languages or genderless languages. This simply suggests that a
higher visibility of gender asymmetries is accompanied by societal gender
inequalities.
- The Marie Curie Initial Training Network – Language, Cognition, and
Gender, ITN LCG, http://www.itn
Research has consistently revealed that masculine generics evoke
a male bias in mental representations and make readers or listeners think
more of male than female exemplars of a person category (Stahlberg et al.,
2007). Effects of linguistic forms on mental representations were measured
with the help of various experimental methodologies.
Different strategies can be used to make language gender-fair and
avoid detrimental effects of masculine generics: neutralization, feminization
and a combination of the two. Which strategy is the appropriate one
depends on the type of language concerned (grammatical gender
language, natural gender language, or genderless language. Bußmann
and Hellinger, 2003).
- https://www.frontierism.org/articles/103389/fpsyg.2016.00025/ful#b14

In the framework of neutralization gender-marked terms are

replaced by gender-indefinite nouns English policeman by police officer).
Neutralization has been recommended especially for natural gender
languages and genderless languages as it is fairly easy to avoid gender
markings in these languages.
However, feminization is not always advantageous for women.
Sometimes the feminine suffix has a slightly derogatory connotation.
Accordingly, a woman introduced as professoressa ‘female professor’ was
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 perceived as less persuasive than a man or than a woman referred to with
the masculine form professore (Mucchi-Faina, 2005). For example, adult
women were reluctant to apply to gender-biased job advertisements (e.g.,
English job titles ending in -man) and were more interested in the same job
when the advertisement had an unbiased form (Bem and Bem, 1973.
Masculine terms used in reference to a female jobholder were
associated with higher status than feminine job titles with -essa (Merkel et
al., 2012). Where feminization faces such structural problems, its use is
less widespread and may have negative effects (Italian: Mucchi-Faina,
2005; Polish: Formanowicz et al., 2013, 2015). But where feminine suffixes
are productive feminization can became a linguistic norm and can be
evaluated positively (German: Vervecken and Hannover, 2012).
The focus of early researches on GFL was mostly on the masculine
bias associated with masculine generics. But although the findings suggest
that linguistic asymmetries may have farther-reaching consequences,
sadly, these are not the areas of priority in recent times. The following are
3. Language Policies as a Result of GFL
Many countries have pledged themselves to an equal treatment of
women and men. The implementation, however, of GFL has reached
different stages in different countries and speech communities as follows:
a. The member states of the European Union and associated
states in the Treaty of Lisbon- European Commission, 2007
recommended the wide use of GFL.
b. UNESCO, 1999
c. National Council of Teachers of English, 2002
d. European Commission, 2008
e. American Psychological Association, 2009
Literatures show that as early as in the 1970s, guidelines for GFL
were introduced in particular professional domains across national and
linguistic boundaries. Examples of this are done by:
a. American Psychological Association (1975)
b. the McGraw-Hill Book Company (1974
c. Britton and Lumpkin, 1977
d. Sunderland, 2011)
e. Macmillan Publishing Company (1975).

These guidelines demand that authors of (psychological) articles,

books, teaching materials, or fiction treat women and men equally,
including the language they use. Publication guidelines of this kind have

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 been effective, because authors need to follow the rules if they want to see
their manuscripts published.
In the 80s, there were developments that indicated a growing
awareness that language does not merely reflect the way we think: it also
shapes our thinking. If words and expressions that imply that women are
inferior to men are constantly used, that assumption of inferiority tends to
become part of our mindset; hence the need to adjust our language when
our ideas evolve” (UNESCO, 2011, p. 4).
The document not only became the most widely recognized
international standard for GFL, it also regulates language use in internal
documents and publications of UNESCO. Similar guidelines for
publications were issued by the European Commission (2008), referring to
all working languages of the European Union (EU). Yet, the standards
promoted by UNESCO and the EU do not regulate language use in the
different countries and are not considered mandatory within their member
states.
4. Individual Language Behavior in the use GFL
Along with other factors that affects GFL use is individual behavior
as well as the persons gender. Accordingly, women hold more favorable
attitude toward GFL. Hence, the better and wider use of GFL in the
language of women. Research studies, on the other hand show mix results
as some reveals that men neglected the use of GFL while more women
were using it.
Language use has been viewed as associated with speakers’ sexist
attitudes, so much so that the use of sexist language has been regarded
as an example of subtle sexism (Swim et al., 2004).
5. Overcoming Gender Stereotyping and Discrimination with Gender-
Fair Language?
Studies showed that consistent use of GFL like in the story telling
and use in the messages or text utterances increase the probability of
GFL. Language policies have been successful in incorporating role nouns
with men and women in putting gender stereotyped jobs in their mental
representations.
6. Obstacles that prevent GFL from becoming a linguistic norm or
standard and prevent the change toward an equal treatment of
women and men.

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 First, the male bias of linguistic asymmetries in mental
representations is backed by a higher prevalence of men in certain social
roles that are highly uphold (e.g., heroes, politicians).
Second, the use of gender-unfair language in masculine generics.
Become disadvantageous to women as feminine form jobshave negative
consequencies. So to protect themselves, women avoids association with
such jobs to avaoid labels of being incompetence and of lower status.
Third, arguments against GFL have routinely included the
presumed difficulty of understanding GFL texts (Parks and Roberton,
1998). In all, there is a lack of transfer of scientific knowledge which
prevents the understanding of linguistic asymmetries as part of a broader
gender imbalance and hinders social change. Education and policy-making
therefore need to increase the efforts of circulating new scientific insights
about GFL to break the vicious circle of ill-informed controversies and
discussions about GFL.
7. How do men view GFL
At the on set, it seems that only women can benefit from GFL. For
men, GFL means an unwelcome loss of their privileged position in
language. Only in few situations have they something to gain through GFL.
If all job advertisements would contain GFL, for instance, men might be
more included in traditionally female jobs which used to be referred to in
the feminine. That’s why future researches are advised to consider the
perspective of men and examine how GFL can turn into a win–win
situation for women and men in modern societies.
Moreover, it will be fruitful to further investigate the dynamics of
GFL usage and its effects from cross-linguistic and cross-cultural
perspectives. Speakers’ willingness to use GFL in everyday life is crucial in
order to profit from the impact of GFL on the (linguistic and social)
treatment of women and men in society. But a deliberate effort is required
before the use of GFL can become habitual. Education and policy-making
can facilitate these processes. When employed consistently over a longer
period, and especially when supported by well-informed controversies and
discussions, GFL will contribute even more to the reduction of gender
stereotyping and discrimination.
-Generally, the notes were taken from the research conducted within
the Marie Curie Initial Training Network: Language, Cognition, and Gender, ITN
LCG, funded by the European Commission’s Seventh Framework Programme
(FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n°237907 (www.itn-lcg.eu).

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 8. Using gender-fair or neutral language in writing

The English language usage standards used to tell us to use "man,"

"he," etc., when speaking about any unspecified individual. This standard
has changed for several reasons such as stated below:

a. it inaccurately represents individuals who are female or

groups who are partly or wholly female;
b. it misleadingly focuses on the sex of the individual rather than
what they are doing;
c. it indicates bias (even when you have no intention of doing
so).

In recent times where the world become aware and sensitive to the
needs of balancing treatment for both men and women, when we still need
to write as accurate and fair as possible, the use of gender -fair language
is but necessary. But there is no pronoun to refer to a person of either sex.
The most common attempt to correct the bias in the use of pronoun
is to use plural form of pronoun such as (they, them, their, theirs). So
the problem, right? But here are some of the identified solutions when
neutral expressions rather than gender-specific phrases in occupations
such as :

a. "police officer" instead of "policeman"

b. "chair," "head," or presiding officer" instead of "chairman"
c. ""executive" instead of "businessman"
d. "humanity" or "humankind" instead of "mankind"
e. "manufactured," "machine made" instead of "man-made"

In American English you should also avoid using old feminine forms
of noun such as "poetess" and "bachelorette": just drop the feminine
endings.

Please take note of the following situations where GFL can be

exercised or observed:

a. Use plural nouns and pronouns instead of singular gender-

specific forms like:
 Student should read his syllabus at the beginning of the term.
 Instead: Students should read their syllabi at the beginning of the
term.
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 b. Just remember that sometimes the meaning of the sentence
will not allow you to use a plural. So, you will need to reword
in order to avoid gender problems entirely.

c. The last example could be reworded to avoid entirely the

problematic possessive pronoun "his": A player should not
question the coach's instructions in crucial moments.

 Problem: When a person watches too much television, his brain

turns to mush.

 TRY: Watching too much television turns a person's

brains to mush

d. Use First Person ("I") or Second Person ("You")

Original: If a student is having a problem with a

professor, he should discuss the problem with the Dept.
Chair

Revised: If you are having a problem with a professor,

you should discuss the problem with the Dept. Chair.
OR
Revised: If I have a problem with a professor, I discuss
it with the Dept. Chair.

 You can easily see one problem with this solution: it changes the
meaning of the sentence somewhat, which could be significant in
context. Other, less obvious, problems, are that overuse of the
words "you" or "I" in a paper can sound accusatory or self-
centered, respectively, and the mixed use of first, second, and
third person in a paper can be confusing to a reader.

e. Use Passive Voice

Original: If a person drinks at a party, he shouldn't drive a

car home.
Revised: A car should not be driven home by a person who
drinks at a party.
 You can see that this sounds pretty awkward. Reword to
avoid this problem instead .

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 Time Out 2
Apply

1. Arrange in chronological order according to the year that this

group showed support the GFL as support to equal treatment to women.
Put your answers on the left portion.
1. UNESCO
2. European Union
3. NCT of English
4. American Psychological Association
5. European Commission

2. Arrange in chronological order according to the year that this

group made GFL part of their guidelines for literature writings in their
publication as a support for equal treatment. Put your answers on the left
portion
1. A. Macmillan Publishing Company
2. B. Sunderland
3. C. Britton and Lumpkin
4. D. American Psychological Association
5. E. the McGraw-Hill Book Company

D. Sexism In Language (Can be another lesson)

The following notes were taken from the works of: Thelma B, Kintanar
1. What Is Sexism In Language?
It is used of language which devalues members of one sex, almost
invariably women. And thus foster gender inequality. It discriminate against
women by rendering them invisible or trivializing them at the same time that it
perpetuates notion od male supremacy.

2. Why the Concern about Mere Words?

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 a. Language articulates consciousness - It not only orders our thought
but from infancy, we learn to use language to give utterance to our basic
needs and feelings.

b. Language reflects culture -It encodes and transmits cultural meanings

and values in our society.
c. Language affects socialization - Children learning a language absorbs
the culture assumptions and biases underlying language use and see
these as an index to their society’s values and attitudes.

Social inequity reflected in language can thus powerfully affected a child’s

behavior and beliefs.

3. What are the kinds of sexist language?

Language that excludes women or renders them invisible. The use of

the generic masculine is the classic example of this. *Subsuming all humanity in
terms man, father, brother and master. This can be corrected by using Gender
Fair Language (GFL). The following are examples of these terms and their
respective alternative for us to practice better fairness of treating women and men
using GFL.

Sexist Gender-fair
Man human being, human, Person, individual
Mankind, men, people, human beings, humans, humankind,
humanity, human race, human species,
society, men, women
Working men, workers, wage earners
Man on the street average person, ordinary person, the
common tao
Fore father ancestor
Layman layperson, non-specialist, nonprofessional
Manhood adulthood, maturity
Manning staffing, working, running
To a man everyone, unanimously, without exception
One man show one person show, solo exhibitions
Founding fathers founders
Man power human resources, staff, personnel, labor
force
Brotherhood of a man the family of humanity, the unity of the people
or
of human kind, human solidarity
early man early people, early men and women, early
human beings
statesmanship Diplomacy
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 man-made manufacture, synthetic, artificial
old masters classic art/artists
masterful domineering, very skillful

The singular Masculine Pronouns: “He”, “His” ’’Him” that also entails
advantages of males.

Example:
When a reporter covers a controversial story, he has a responsibility to
present both sides of the issue. Each student should bring his notebook to to
class everyday. Everyone packed his own lunch. If a customer has a complaint,
send him to the service desk. The handicapped child may be able to feed
himself.

Suggested Alternatives;
When reporters cover controversial stories, they have a responsibility to
present both sides of the issue. All students should bring their notebook to class
everyday. Everyone should packed a lunch. Customers with complaints should
be sent to the service desk. Handicapped children may be able to feed
themselves.

Time Out 3
Apply

Did you see the difference? Okay, please write the words that connotes
sexist in the left portion of the box and the corrected form in the right portion of
the box.

Sexist Words Gender-fair Language

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 Terms ending in man refer to functions that may be performed by
individuals of either sex.

Sexist Gender-fair
Anchorman anchor, anchor person
Business man business executive, manager,
business owner, retailer
camera man camera operators,
cinematographers, photographer
Chairman chairperson, chair

There is a tendency to use “chairperson” to apply only to women while “

chairman” is used for men , even though “chairperson” is applicable to both
sexes. ”Chairperson” is preferable for their sex.

Sexist Gender-fair
Congressman representative, member of congress, congress
member, legislator
craftsmen artisan, craft artist, crafts persons
firemen fire fighters
fishermen fishers, fisherfolk
foremen supervisors
linemen line installer, line repairer
lumbermen lumber cutters
pressmen press operator
Policeman police officer, law enforcement officer
Repairmen repairers
salesmen sales person, sales representative, sales agent
spokesman spokesperson, representative
sportsmen sport enthusiasts
statesmen diplomats, political leader
watchmen guards
weathermen weather reporter, weather caster, meteorologist

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 Terms used as though they apply to adult males only, or are appropriated
to a particular sex

Examples:

Settlers moved west taking their wives and children with them.
Alternative: Use “families” for “wives and children”

Farmers found their drought conditions difficult, and so did their wives.
Alternative: Use “Greek males”

People don’t give up power. They’ll give up anything else first, money,
home, wife, but not power.
Alternative: Use “spouse” for “wife”

Farmers found their drought conditions difficult, and so did their wives.
Alternative: Use “spouses” for “wives”

The aboriginals dressed in feather costumes and accented their faces with
dyes. Women too painted their faces.
Alternative: Use “aboriginals men and women” for “aboriginals”; omit the
second sentence.

Current Usage… Alternative

Lawyers/doctors Lawyers/doctors
Farmers and their wives Farmers and their spouses
The teacher and her students teacher and his or her students;
teacher and their students
the secretary and secretary his or her boss, secretaries
the boss and their bosses

The generic masculine reflects gender inequality in that women are never
seen in terms of general or representative humanity. Men represent the universal
or the human to which women are the other.

Plural form preferred, unless you know the sex of the teachers or the
secretary, in which case use the appropriate pronoun.

Language that trivializes women or diminishes their stature

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 Feminine suffixes such as -ess, -ette, -trix, or -enne, make unnecessary
reference to the person’s sex suggest triviality, unimportance, or inferiority of
women occupying such a position.

Current Usage: Alternative Current Usage: Alternative

language language
to be used to be used

Actress: actor Hostesses: hosts

Authoress: Author Poetess: poet
Aviatrix: aviator Proprietress: proprietor
Comedienne: comedian Suffragette: suffragist
Executrixes: Executors Usherette: usher
Heroines: Heroes

Use of sex-linked modifiers sounds gratuitous, is patronizing and suggests

that the norm of some occupations is for a particular sex

Current usage: alternative

Lady doctor,”doctora”: doctor
Woman writer: writer
Female lawyer: lawyer
Girl athlete: athlete
Male nurse: nurse
Male secretary: secretary
Heroic women: heroes
Working mothers: wage earning mothers
: mothers working outside the home
employed mother: mothers working outside the home
working wives: wives working outside the home

Such modifiers imply that they are not real lawyers, doctors,
nurses, workers, etc. When it is necessary to the point out the
female aspect of a person occupying a given role or occupation use
”female” or “women” rather than “lady”, e.g. female guard.

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Language which disparages marginalizes women (or person of another
gender)
Current Usage: Alternative
Girl: adult female
Salesgirls: saleswomen
Ladies: women
Fair sex, weaker sex: women
Little woman: wife; The better half
Coed: female college student
Bachelor girl; spinster: unmarried women; Old maid
Starlets: aspiring actors
Young girls: teenage women
Girl Friday: administrative assistant
Minority women: ethnic women
Mill girls: factory workers
Hookers, whores: prostitutes
Non-traditional or dominated: female intensive occupations
Ladies chattering: women talking, speaking, conversing
Bag ladies: homeless women
Chick: girl, women (depending on age)
Dykes, gays women: lesbian; Female homosexuals
House bands, house wives: home makers
Granny midwives: lay midwives, traditional midwives
Fish wives: fish seller
Servants, maids: domestic helper, house hold helpers
Busboys: waiter assistants
Chambermaids: hotel worker
Career girls: career women
Male chauvinist: male chauvinism
Women libbers: feminists, liberationists

Language that fosters unequal gender relations lack of parallelism

Current: Alternative
Man and wife: husband and wife
Men and girls: men and women; boys and girls
Men and ladies: men and women; ladies and gentlemen
President Bush and President Bush and
Mrs. arroyo : President Macapagal-Arroyo
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 Martina and Connor: Navratilova and Connors, or Martina and Jimmy
Connors and Miss Navratilova: Mr. Connors and Miss Navratilova

The use of terms that call attention to a person’s sex in designating

occupations, positions, roles, etc..

Current Usage: Alternatives

Delivery boys: deliverers, delivery man
Motherhood, fatherhood: parenthood
Political husbands: political spouse, political wives
Headmasters, headmistresses: principals
Cowboys, cowgirls: ranch hands
Traffic in women: sex tourism
Girl watching: street harassment
Bellman, bellboy: bellhop
Clergy man: member of the clergy, minister, rabbi,
priest, pastor, etc.
Mailman, postman: mail carrier, letter carrier
Father(religious): priests
Laundry women, washer women: launderers
Chorus girl: chorus dancers
Longshoremen: longshore worker, stevedores
Cleaning women, cleaning lady: cleaners
Stewardess, steward: flight/cabin attendant
Corporate husbands: corporate spouse; Corporate wives
Domestic, maids: household worker
Servants: household help

Gender polarization of meanings in the use of adjectives

Examples:
a. Forceful men are perceived as charismatic while forceful
women are labeled domineering.
b. Light hearted men as seen as easygoing while women of
the same nature are frivolous.
c. Forgetful men are called absent-minded while forgetful
women are termed scatterbrained.
d. We describe angry men as outraged, while angry women
are hysterical.
e. Men who are interested in everything are called curious
people, while women with similar tendency are termed
nosy.

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 f. Men of ordinary appearance go without mention, while
women of ordinary appearance are labelled plain and
homely.
g. Men who are thoughtful are called concerned, while
women of the same type are high strung.

h. Men who are careful are cautious while their female

counterpart are timid.
i. When men talk together, it is called a convention. But when
women talk together are called gossip

The terms womanly, manly, feminine, masculine depict each sex as

being solely associated with particular attributes. Use adjectives that
specify every shade of meaning. For example: sensitive, determine, strong,
nurturing. They clarify as well as enrich one’s use of language.

In the history of the English language, negative or sexually derogatory

meanings accrue to words referring to women but not to equivalent words
for man.

Example: mistress, hostess, madam Hussy (this derogatory term

for woman has the same root as “housewife” and used the mean the
mistress the house)
Matron- custodian, somebody who looks after a dorm versus
“patron"- one who supports artist.

Lexical Gap
In the English Language, there is absence or lack of words that refer
to woman’s experience, e.g.

Men are” Henpecked” but women are not ”Cock pecked”.

We refer to men’s “virility” but there is no equivalent words for women’s
experience.

There is “patronage” but no “matronage”.

Hidden Assumptions: Compare these two statements:

Men can care for children just as well as women. (this statement wholly
acceptable )

Women can care for children just as well as men. (sounds strange or bizarre
without GFL .)

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 Time Out 4
Apply

Please read the statements below and look for the problem in the
construction of each sentences using indefinite pronoun (referring to non-specific
person/s). Try to make a correct statement below each.

Note: (anybody, anyone, each, either, everybody, everyone neither,

nobody, none, no one, somebody, someone). These sound plural but should be
treated as singular.

1. Problem: It is the duty of every driver to carry their driver's license at all
times.

2. Problem: Anyone can achieve these goals if they work hard and have
some faith.

3. Problem : No one can come in if they don't know the password.

4. Problem: Each player should not question his coach's instructions in

crucial moments.

Copyright 1998 ©Margaret Oakes

All Rights Reserved

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 Assess

Name ___________________________________ Score ______________

Section _________________________________ Date _______________

Congratulations for reaching this far! It is our hope that you have enjoyed
and learned. Now you are ready for the final step that would make you pass this
chapter with a smile. Are you ready? Of course you are! Just follow the instruction
because it is important.

1. Give different obstacles that prevent the use of GFL toward equal
treatment of women and men in society.

2. Give at least 2 reasons why men viewed GFL with negative connotation.

3. Look for the problems in the use of GFL in the following statements.
Underlined the bias word and on the space provided before each number,
write the alternative GFL.
____________a. The policeman on duty refused their entry due to failure
to comply health protocols.

____________b. The chairman of the committee forwarded the memo on

promotion.

____________c. Due to this worldwide crisis or pandemic, mankind

become health conscious.

____________d. The greatest achievement of humanity are man-made

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 materials like state of the art technology.

____________e. Some businessmen are taking advantage of the crisis

situation today.

References

American Psychological Association (1975). Guidelines for nonsexist use of

language. Am. Psychol. 30, 682–684. doi: 10.1037/h0076869

American Psychological Association (2009). Publication Manual of the American

Psychological Association: Supplemental Material, 6th Edn. Washington,
DC: American Psychological Association.

Banaji, M. R., and Hardin, C. D. (1996). Automatic stereotyping. Psychol. Sci. 7,

136–141. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.1996.tb00346.x

Bem, S. L., and Bem, D. J. (1973). Does sex-biased job advertising “aid and abet”
sex discrimination? J. Appl. Soc. Psychol. 3, 6–18. doi: 10.1111/j.1559-
1816.1973.tb01290.x

Dorothy M. Still Smoking. Blackfeet Tribe Head Start Program and Piegan
Institute, Inc. https://newprairiepress.org/aerc/1999/paper/47
cads@k-state.edu.

Vervecken, D. & Hannover, B. A Double Edged Sword: Teachers’ Use of Gender

Fair Job Descriptions and Children's Perceptions of Occupational Status and
their Vocational Self-Efficacy Beliefs. Manuscript submitted at the Journal
of Experimental Education. This is an Author's Original Manuscript of an
article submitted for consideration in the Journal of Experimental
Education [copyright Taylor & Francis]

Can Gender-Fair Language Reduce Gender Stereotyping discriminations

www.frontiersin.org › articles › fpsyg.2016.00025 › full Front. Psychol., 02
February 2016 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00025Gender-Fair
Language Reduce Gender Stereotyping and Discrimination?
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The Journal of Experimental Education is available online at
http://www.tandfonline.com.

facweb.furman.edu>Powerwrite (gender fair language, whats the problem)

ncte.org National Council of Teachers of English (Guide lines for Gender-
Fair Use of Language. Updated October 2018 with a new title: Statement
on Gender and Language

UNESCO, Learning : The Treasure Within, 1996 (language culture and language.
https://www.racismnoway.com.au/about-racism/understanding/index-
references.html#unesco96

Websites
www.frontiersin.org
https://www.cyut.edu.tw>rmtw

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