Non-parallel terms are also problematic and should be avoided e.g. man and wife defines the woman only in relation to the man.
SPECIFIC GROUPINGS
Gender
Possible areas of bias include: using he to refer to both genders; defining roles by gender, e.g. using she to refer to nursing staff; stereotyping.
Avoid ambiguity by choosing words to accurately describe participants or behaviors. Rephrasing can avoid use of the generic he, as can replacing the pronoun with an article or dropping the pronoun. Replacing with he or she or s/he should be done sparingly as it can become very tiresome.
(Note: a strong and vocal minority assert there are more than two genders, which bears out scientifically. You can be ahead of the curve by being aware of this in your writings. People transitioning from one gender to another usually prefer to be referred to by the gender they are morphing into; altho it is always best to ask. Generally, it is proper to refer to transvestites and transgendered folks according to how they are dressed.)
Sexual Orientation
The word orientation is generally preferable to preference; the terms lesbians and gay men preferable to homosexual. Homosexual is ambiguous and has accrued negative connotations in the past. Again, be specific and precise. In referring inclusively to people whose orientation is not heterosexual, include bisexual people.
Be aware of the distinction between sexual behavior and sexual orientation. In describing behavior, adjectives are preferable to nouns to clarify this distinction, e.g. same gender, male-male, female-female, male-female sexual behavior.
Racial and Ethnic Identity
Acceptable phrasing for referring to ethnic and racial groups changes frequently, partly due to personal preference, partly that terms often accrue negative connotations. Again, remember basic guidelines of sensitivity and specificity. Ask about preferred terminology and avoid negatively perceived terms. Black and African-American are currently acceptable. In this context, terms such as Black and White should be capitalized since they refer to ethnic groups and are therefore proper nouns.
Disabilities
Maintain the integrity of individuals as human beings, do not equate the person with the disability, avoid unnecessary negative terms such as victim, (stroke victim) or cripple.
Disability refers to an attribute of the person and handicap to constraints on the person, which may include attitudes, physical environment and legislation.
Age
Be specific when defining ages of participants. Older person is preferable to elderly, which can be considered pejorative and is not acceptable as a noun. Dementia is preferable to senility, although senile dementia of the Alzheimer’s type is acceptable.
LANGUAGE, SEX AND GENDER http://policies.salford.ac.uk/display.php?id=186
Sexist language expresses bias in favor of one sex and thus discriminates against the other. Though in certain circumstances bias does occur in favour of women, in general it appears to be in favor of men and against women. Any language that discriminates against women and men by not adequately reflecting their roles, status and presence in society is sexist.
Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
