Why Sexist Language Matters

language.
on instead are words that most people consider just fine: male (so-called) generics.
Some of these words refer to persons occupying a position: postman, chairman,
freshman, congressman, fireman. Other words refer to the entire universe of human
beings: “mankind” or “he.” Then we’ve got manpower, man-made lakes, and “Oh,
man, where did I leave my keys?” There’s “manning” the tables in a country where
we learn that “all men are created equal.”
The most insidious, from my observations, is the popular expression “you
guys.” People like to tell me it’s a regional term. But I’ve heard it in Chapel Hill,
New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Montreal. I’ve seen it in print in national
magazines, newsletters, and books. I’ve heard it on television and in films. And
even if it were regional, that doesn’t make it right. I bet we can all think of a lot of
practices in our home regions we’d like to get rid of.
Try making up a female-based generic, such as “freshwoman,” and using it
with a group of male students, or calling your male boss “chairwoman.” Then
again, don’t. There could be serious consequences for referring to a man as a
woman—a term that still means “lesser” in our society. If not, why do men get so
upset at the idea of being called women?
1
Correspondence should be directed to Sherryl Kleinman, Department of Sociology, University of
North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3210; e-mail: kleinman@email.unc.edu. What’s the big deal? Why does all this “man-ning” and “guys-ing” deserve a
place on my list of items of gender inequality?
The answer is because male-based generics are another indicator—and, more
importantly, a reinforcer—of a system in which “man” in the abstract and men
in the flesh are privileged over women. Some say that language merely reflects
reality and so we should ignore our words and work on changing the unequal
gender arrangements that are reflected in our language. Well, yes, in...

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