There is no quick cure; no one right answer. It is 7. When you are struggling with a real paper, solutions are usually much harder to find. Now customize the name of a clipboard to store your clips. Each physician must provide his patient reports within 24 hours. Gender bias also rears its ugly head in commonly used words like “fireman,” “policeman,” Instead of sex-linked titles, try neutral titles: 1. The most important thing to remember is that each problem has its own best solution. College of Business, Health, and Human Services, College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education, Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences, South Central Writing Centers Association, a pronoun that denotes a single sex when the information being conveyed pertains equally to either or both sexes, Ex. Unfortunately, it stills happens in many workplaces and can take a number of forms, including: Although some companies are providing opportunities for true equality in the workplace, there is still a long way to go. (Podcast), First Editing | Featured Published Author Chris Simpson Podcast Interview, First Editing | Featured Published Author Paula Garcia Taveras Podcast Interview, First Editing | Featured Published Author Tawana Forte Podcast Interview. The above techniques may not be a great idea with your boss (although some higher-ups who are deliberately needling you will actually respect you more if you push back). When Plato spoke about justice, for example, did he really mean justice in the hearts of humanity, or simply justice in the hearts of men? 1. Go there first. unlawfully. Either Mary or John should bring a schedule with them. It’s a good thing I’m not a sweetheart, or nothing would be getting done in my department!”, Another option: “Ha, sweetheart. pronoun in place of a singular pronoun. Grace specializes in lactation law compliance & policy development, reducing staff turnover after maternity leave, and creating a participatory work culture. Choose a single-sex pronoun and use it consistently throughout the paper — but be especially careful not to do this in a way that will perpetuate stereotypes. For instance, rather than using “man” or “mankind,” why not use “people,” “human beings,” “humankind,” or “humanity” (Hamilton et. ), John and Mary Doe, or John Doe and Mary Jones There has been talk about creating a new, non-gender-specific pronoun such as “tey,” “e” or “E”, but, on the whole, writers and readers are uncomfortable with such a drastic change. NOTE: When referring to quotes, you must determine whether the author meant to include both sexes. For example, the sentence: Before giving a patient medications, make sure that you verify his/her name by checking their identification bracelet. Free event on 11/12: How to Land a Job in Sales & Marketing. A 10-year-old boy shouts, “I SAW BOOBIES!!!”. Change the wording to: Use: A student should meet with his or her advisor. Change singular nouns to plurals and use a gender neutral pronoun, or try to avoid the pronoun entirely: Instead of: Each student must have his notebook with him in class. In that case, respond to your boss’ sexist comments with feigned confusion. Even if you are not aware of it, hurtful words will have an effect and make your company vulnerable. al. Alternatives: Chair, Chairperson, Presiding Officer, Alternatives: Congressional Representative, Alternatives: Custodial Technician, Environmental Services Associate, Maintenance Engineer, Alternatives: Letter Carrier, Postal Worker, Alternatives: Sales Associate, Salesperson, Alternatives: Child Caretaker, Child Care Associate, Alternatives: Business Executive, Manager, Alternatives: Sales Clerk, Customer Service Agent, Alternatives: Chair, Presiding Officer, Chairperson, Alternatives: Sanitation Expert, Cleaning Technician. job, and avoid using a masculine noun to encompass both; instead, use a non-gender specific title. We are open 24/7 to help whenever you need. early man used a system of gestures to communicate, Fireman – fireperson is awkward, but firefighter is not, Policeman – policeperson sounds silly, but police officer sounds natural, Mailman – mailperson seems awkward, postal worker does not, Cleaning woman – house cleaner, office cleaner, custodian are all preferable, Poetess – poet can be either a woman or a man and does not sound as if a woman poet is so odd that she needs a special appellation. Avoiding sexist language is tricky, but far from impossible. Using “they” in this context technically is not grammatically correct; however, more and more people are starting to accept this usage as an alternative to sexist writing. second person for the third: Example 1: When a student writes a paper, he must proofread carefully. At the same time, it indicates that you are listening to them.” 3. “Ha, at my school we all had to take calculus to even think about getting into college. Tollfree 1-800-816-4788. If our language is biased, our ordering and categories will be inaccurate. Check with your instructions for their preferences (or check with your instructor for his or her preference). Some terms are very risky when used in a business environment. Bullying comes in many forms, but the most common is verbal. That’s funny, it’s like me calling you Ulysses S. Grant, or a tree.”. Consider its context in the work as a whole. The abbreviations “he/she” and “s/he” fall into the same category as “he or she.” You can employ them, but sparingly; the same holds for the substitution of “one” for “he.” Overuse of these techniques makes the writing infuriating to read. When possible, simply drop the pronoun altogether and substitute a nondescriptive article: Who dropped a ticket? whether you are talking about a man or a woman. Be safe during Corona! In the workplace, it is important that everyone is treated equally and no one is discriminated against If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. Powerful Writing Skills. Things have changed so much!”, Of course, most real-life interactions along these lines are notably shorter. Repetition tends to suppress our awareness of the potential harm; and subconsciously, we may begin to accept behaviors that are inappropriate. I mean, it’s certainly gendered. Some texts offer it as a solution, but we recommend that you be wary of using it in formal writing, as some professors may take offense. “Did you just say that...in a meeting? can use the words “firefighter,” “police officer,” and “serviceperson.” We as writers find ourselves in a delicate situation: knowing that we want to avoid using sexist language, how can we write in a non-sexist manner? And these strategies aren’t sufficient for sexual harassment, which is a crime–they are intended for occasional, low-level comments that make your workplace unpleasant, but aren’t necessarily enough to go to HR about. If there is unlawful discrimination in the workplace, a company could be investigated and Read more: How to Create the Perfect Workplace Environment. When using pronouns, you have several choices. To avoid the risk of losing customers or the support of your stakeholders, it’s important to recognize their point of view and make appropriate adjustments. You shouldn’t have to … Must time always be considered male? So just keep this in your arsenal: [Shrug] “Must be a generational thing.”. We suggest using traditional spelling or checking with your instructor. possibly shut down. Or: Senator who cannot serve a full term of office…. If you think you must use a singular adjective like “each” or “every,” try to avoid using a pronoun: Instead of: Each student must hand in his homework on Thursday. In exchange, terms such as people, ordinary person, staffed, and all people should be used. Examples include: Ladies and gentlemen, or men and women Or even better: Don’t get hysterical, sweetheart. In technical writing, “ensure that the reception desk is manned 24 hours” should be replaced with “…staffed 24 hours.”. To fix the sentence, we must include both genders in the category of “student.” There are several ways to approach this. Learn more. Before giving a patient medication, make sure to verify their name by checking the identification bracelet. Homophones – What Professional Editors Know. Maybe instead we should say something like...”.