Re: Gender in language

From: David desJardins <desj@math.berkeley.edu>

Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2002 18:33:38 +0000

Daniel Vuurboom writes:
>> I think they otherwise would not.)  I can, however, change the language
>> that I use.  It seems to me that changing that which I can control is
>> better than saying it's all someone else's responsibility.
>
> My point is, that if the concept you try to express is used in
> discrimination, it does not matter which word you use for it. The word
> will receive that negative semantic overtone.

Sure.  I'm not talking about replacing one word with another just
because of its derogatory connotation.  I'm talking about changing the
set of words in the language.  If "doctor" refers to both men and women
(rather than women being called "doctress", as they once were), then it
becomes much less common to emphasize or imply the sex of a doctor when
talking about one.  Similarly for "ambassador" vs "ambassadress",
"flight attendant" vs "steward/stewardess", "actor" vs "actress", "one"
or "they" vs the nonspecific "he", "zie" vs the specific "he" and "she",
etc., etc.  I do think that such changes are effective.  The question is
just how far and how fast people are willing to go.

David desJardins

References

Re: Gender in language
David desJardins <desj@math.berkeley.edu>
Mon, 11 Nov 2002 07:07:58 +0000
Re: Gender in language
madcentral@aol.com (MadCentral)
Mon, 11 Nov 2002 10:48:57 +0000
Re: Gender in language
David desJardins <desj@math.berkeley.edu>
Mon, 11 Nov 2002 18:10:15 +0000
Re: Gender in language
Daniel Vuurboom & Gerry Damen <vuurdameDELETE@xs4all.nl>
Fri, 15 Nov 2002 17:26:22 +0000