Gender Benders in Writing - Why Words Matter

You've heard the expression that you are what you eat, but did you know you are also how you speak?  For centuries, the English language used the term "man" to include all humanity.  As more women have moved into the workforce, it has become customary to talk about men and women when a statement includes both.  This enables women and girls to feel included in a speaker's or writer's audience.  It can also keep you out of hot water.




The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has officially abandoned the term "manned space flight," referring instead to "crewed missions" or other inclusive terminology.   Still sometimes used are terms such as "manmade lake" or "man-hours" of work.  There can be substitutes, such as "staff-hours," or it may be a case of reworking a sentence.  You don't have to go from saying "man-made lake" to "human-built lake." You can rephrase to talk about a "a lake local engineers built."




Some of us struggle with the more encompassing choice of words.  Others fight it, perhaps perceiving a threat of some sort.  "So, am I supposed to say 'person-hole cover?'" a reluctant convert might ask.  Actually, "utility cover" works quite well, and is a more accurate description.


Are we talking about another form of political correctness here?  No.  The impact of the words we use and the images we convey are far more important.  Not all biased terminology has the word "man" in it.  Phrases such as "old wives' tale" impart the idea that an anecdote relayed by a woman is frivolous or not to be believed.  The message this conveys is stored by children - boys and girls - forming impressions about their roles in the world and the value of one anothers' opinions.