Sexism
Sexism is the most difficult bias to avoid, in part because of the convention of using man or men and he or his to refer to people of either sex. Other, more disrespectful conventions include giving descriptions of women in terms of age and appearance while describing men in terms of accomplishment.
| Avoid This
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| Use This Instead
| | mankind, man
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| human beings, humans, humankind, humanity, people, society, men and women
| | man-made
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| synthetic, artificial
| | man in the street
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| average person, ordinary person
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Using gender-neutral terms for occupations, positions, roles, etc.
Terms that specify a particular sex can unnecessarily perpetuate certain stereotypes when used generically.
| Avoid This
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| Use This Instead
| | anchorman
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| anchor
| | bellman, bellboy
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| bellhop
| | businessman
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| businessperson, executive, manager, business owner, retailer, etc.
| | chairman
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| chair, chairperson
| | cleaning lady, girl, maid
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| housecleaner, housekeeper, cleaning person, office cleaner
| | clergyman
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| member of the clergy, rabbi, priest, etc.
| | clergymen
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| the clergy
| | congressman
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| representative, member of Congress, legislator
| | fireman
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| firefighter
| | forefather
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| ancestor
| | girl/gal Friday
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| assistant
| | housewife
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| homemaker
| | insurance man
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| insurance agent
| | layman
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| layperson, nonspecialist, nonprofessional
| | mailman, postman
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| mail or letter carrier
| | policeman
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| police officer or law enforcement officer
| | salesman, saleswoman, saleslady, salesgirl
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| salesperson, sales representative, sales associate, clerk
| | spokesman
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| spokesperson, representative
| | stewardess, steward
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| flight attendant
| | spokesman
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| flight attendant
| | weatherman
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| weather reporter, weathercaster, meteorologist
| | workman
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| worker
| | actress
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| actor
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Replacing the pronoun he
Like man, the generic use of he can be seen to exclude women.
| Avoid This
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| Use This Instead
| | When a driver approaches a red light, he must prepare to stop.
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| When drivers approach a red light, they must prepare to stop.
| | When a driver approaches a red light, he or she must prepare to stop.
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| When approaching a red light, a driver must prepare to stop.
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Referring to members of both sexes with parallel names, titles, or descriptions
Don't be inconsistent unless you are trying to make a specific point.
| Avoid This
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| Use This Instead
| | men and ladies
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| men and women, ladies and gentlemen
| | Betty Schmidt, an attractive 49-year-old physician, and her husband, Alan Schmidt, a noted editor
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| Betty Schmidt, a physician, and her husband, Alan Schmidt, an editor
| | Mr. David Kim and Mrs. Betty Harrow
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| Mr. David Kim and Ms. Betty Harrow (unless Mrs. is her known preference)
| | man and wife
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| husband and wife
| | Dear Sir:
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| Dear Sir/Madam: Dear Madam or Sir: To whom it may concern:
| | Mrs. Smith and President Jones
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| Governor Smith and President Jones
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Race, Ethnicity, and National Origin
Some words and phrases that refer to racial and ethnic groups are clearly offensive. Other words (e.g., Oriental, colored) are outdated or inaccurate. Hispanic is generally accepted as a broad term for Spanish-speaking people of the Western Hemisphere, but more specific terms (Latino, Mexican American) are also acceptable and in some cases preferred.
| Avoid This
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| Use This Instead
| | Negro, colored, Afro-American
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| black, African-American (generally preferred to Afro-American)
| | Oriental, Asiatic
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| Asian or more specific designation such as Pacific Islander, Chinese American, Korean
| | Indian
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| Indian properly refers to people who live in or come from India. American Indian, Native American, and more specific designations (Chinook, Hopi) are usually preferred when referring to the native peoples of the Western hemisphere.
| | Eskimo
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| Inuit, Alaska Natives
| | native (n.)
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| native peoples, early inhabitants, aboriginal peoples (but not aborigines)
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Age
The concept of aging is changing as people are living longer and more active lives. Be aware of word choices that reinforce stereotypes (decrepit, senile) and avoid mentioning age unless it is relevant.
| Avoid This
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| Use This Instead
| | elderly, aged, old, geriatric, the elderly, the aged
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| older person, senior citizen(s), older people, seniors
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Sexual Orientation
The term homosexual to describe a man or woman is increasingly replaced by the terms gay for men and lesbian for women. Homosexual as a noun is sometimes used only in reference to a male. Among homosexuals, certain terms (such as queer and dyke) that are usually considered offensive have been gaining currency in recent years. However, it is still prudent to avoid these terms in standard contexts.
Avoiding Depersonalization of Persons with Disabilities or Illnesses
Terminology that emphasizes the person rather than the disability is generally preferred. Handicap is used to refer to the environmental barrier that affects the person. (Stairs handicap a person who uses a wheelchair.) While words such as crazy, demented, and insane are used in facetious or informal contexts, these terms are not used to describe people with clinical diagnoses of mental illness. The euphemisms challenged, differently abled, and special are preferred by some people, but are often ridiculed and are best avoided. (A I P PG. c om)
| Avoid This
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| Use This Instead
| | Mongoloid
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| person with Down syndrome
| | wheelchair-bound
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| person who uses a wheelchair
| | AIDS sufferer, person afflicted with AIDS, AIDS victim
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| person living with AIDS, P.W.A., HIV+, (one who tests positive for HIV but does not show symptoms of AIDS)
| | polio victim
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| has/had polio
| | the handicapped, the disabled, cripple
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| persons with disabilities or person who uses crutches or more specific description
| | deaf-mute, deaf and dumb
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| deaf person
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Avoiding Patronizing or Demeaning Expressions
These are expressions which can offend, regardless of intention. References to age, sex, religion, race, and the like should only be included if they are relevant.
| Avoid This
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| Use This Instead
| | girls (when referring to adult women), the fair sex
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| women
| | sweetie, dear, dearie, honey
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| (usually not appropriate with strangers or in public situations)
| | old maid, bachelorette, spinster
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| single woman, woman, divorced woman (but only if one would specify "divorced man" in the same context)
| | the little woman, old lady, ball and chain
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| wife
| | boy (when referring to or addressing an adult man)
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| man, sir
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Avoiding Language That Excludes or Unnecessarily Emphasizes Differences
References to age, sex, religion, race, and the like should be included only if they are relevant.
| Avoid This
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| Use This Instead
| | lawyers and their wives
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| lawyers and their spouses
| | a secretary and her boss
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| a secretary and boss, a secretary and his or her boss
| | the male nurse
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| the nurse
| | Arab man denies assault charge
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| Man denies assault charge
| | the articulate black student
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| the articulate student
| | Marie Curie was a great woman scientist
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| Marie Curie was a great scientist (unless the intent is to compare her only with other women in the sciences)
| | Christian name
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| given name, personal name, first name
| | Mr. Johnson, the black representative, met with the President today to discuss civil-rights legislation.
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| Mr. Johnson, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, met with the President today to discuss civil-rights legislation.
| |
