English has more words than any other language, but it unfortunately lacks a common-sex singular pronoun. There is no word without gender to refer ro a judge, a doctor, an author, or an executive. We have traditionally used "he" in this way, but by doing it consistently, we subtly prejudice our expectations for and our conceptions of women in those occupations. Similarly, the traditional use of "she" in reference to nurses, secretaries, or teachers gives us prejudiced ideas about males in those occupations. There are alternatives to the exclusive use of either the masculine or feminine pronouns.
1. Restate in the plural.
2. Reword to eliminate unnecessary gender references.
3. Replace the masculine/feminine pronoun with one, you (in informal writing), or he or she.
4. Alternate feminine and masculine forms throughout the essay.
5. The meaning of the word "man" once encompassed all humankind; however, its meaning has become so deeply entwined with the idea of the adult male that the generic use of "man" should generally be avoided.
6. Men and women's titles should be parallel; descriptions involving
occupation, appearance, etc. should be as equal as possible.
7. Any adjective, term, or phrase which trivializes females should be
avoided. Likewise, any sexist suffixes or adjectives that refer to stereotypical
ideals of masculine and feminine gender should not be used.
E-mail your comments and suggestions to the YSU Grant Team (cardcat@bgnet.bgsu.edu).
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