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Greetings to you from WriteWorks columnist Miss
Staitett, bringing you incredibly "Foul Language" each month
— infamous and otherwise unforgettable fouled-up language: word
blunders from the real world of miscommunication. For any of us who
have embarrassed ourselves with message-altering typos, with words that
could be (and were) taken the wrong way, and with translation errors,
may you find comfort in these painful passages, knowing that, at least,
you were not alone.
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This month, writer
Linda Elizabeth Alexander presents quick tips for avoiding common mistakes
regarding sexist language.
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Why avoid sexist
language in your business writing? Biased language can alienate any
potential reader. If you alienate your readers, you lose credibility. Without
their faith in your words, you have lost your audience and cannot make
your argument. Therefore, avoiding sexism in your writing benefits
everyone. Here are some tips for avoiding common mistakes regarding
sexist language.
- He/She
The
use of a masculine pronoun to refer to both genders is offensive to many
people. Also, using terms such as "man" to define people can
often be confusing — are you referring only to "men" or to
"all people"? The easiest and best way to get around this is to
rewrite the sentence in the plural, or avoid using a pronoun altogether.
Example: The executive cannot do his job properly until
he understands how.
Correct to: Executives cannot do their jobs properly until
they understand how.
You
could also say "The executive cannot do his or her job properly
until he or she understands how." However, this tends to be clumsy,
especially after being used repeatedly.
- Ms./Miss/Mrs.
Miss
refers to an unmarried woman. Mrs. Refers to a married woman. Ms. is a
universally accepted form of addressing a woman regardless of her marital
status. This should be adopted whenever possible.
However,
there are women who indicate a preference for either Miss or Mrs., and
that preference should be honored if known. When addressing general
audiences, or if you are not sure of the woman's marital status, always
use Ms.
Other ways to avoid sexism in your writing:
§
Don't
assume that a particular job is filled by a particular gender: there are
many female constructions workers and doctors; there are also many nurses
and office assistants that are male.
§
Instead,
talk about "mail carriers" instead of mailmen, "flight
attendants" instead of stewardesses, and "police officers"
instead of policemen. Certain job titles refer to both men and women;
"lineman" is one such example.
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Try not to
be confusing by going overboard with terms such as "saleswoman"
or "salesman" or "salesperson." Instead, use simple
words like "sales associate" or "chair" instead of
"chairman/woman/person."
Share Your Pain!
Have you ever fouled up your written or spoken communications
into something embarrassing, humorous, scandalous, or enraging? ‘Fess up
here! Write
and tell me: Miss Staitett. I will publish the best of our readers’
memorable mishaps and blunders of public record in upcoming editions of
Foul Language. Until then, watch your language!
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Linda
Elizabeth Alexander is a freelance business writer and marketing
consultant based in Colorado, USA. You may reach her at
mailto:lalexander@write2thepointcom.com. Visit her web site at
http://www.write2thepointcom.com.
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