"Gender-neutral language"...

[Negative]

From Simon & Schuster - Handbook for Writers, seventh edition, by Troyka and Hesse, one of the course manuals used in many English classes at college/university:

Gender-neutral language, also referred to as gender-free or nonsexist language, relies on terms that don't communicate whether the person is male or female (for example, in replacing policeman with police officer or doctors' wives with doctors' spouses).
Sexist language assigns roles or characteristics to people based on their sex and gender. Most women and men today feel that sexist language unfairly discriminates against both sexes.

Ok, I can live with that... police officer, not policeman... fine...

But this is where they are crossing some lines (probably all for the sake of political correctness):

NO: Man is a social animal.
YES: People are social animals.

NO: The history of mankind is predominately violent.
YES: Human history is predominately violent.

NO: Dogs are men's best friends.
YES: Dogs are people's best friends.

NO: the common man
YES: the average person

NO: man-sized sandwich
YES: huge sandwich

NO: old wives' tale
YES: superstition

WHAT?!?

NO: male nurse
YES: nurse

NO: gal Friday
YES: assistant

NO: coed
YES: student

NO: My girl can help.
YES: My secretary can help. <--- LOL

That's all pretty innocent, but the problems (imo) start when you consistently start replacing "sexist" words with the gender-neutral versions.

Examples from the book:

Many of man's most important inventions are found not in scientific laboratories but in the home.
Among these inventions are the many home appliances that were designed in the early 1900s to simplify women's housework.
Before such appliances became available, a family was fortunate if the husband could afford to hire a cleaning lady or a maid to help with the housework.
None of the inventors of modern home appliances could have guessed what far-reaching effects his inventions would have on our society.

OK, now for the "clean" version:

Many of humanity's most important inventions are found not in scientific laboratories but in the home.
Among these inventions are the many home appliances that were designed in the early 1900s to simplify homemakers' housework.
Before such appliances became available, a family was fortunate if it could afford to hire a cleaning person or a housekeeper/household helper to help with the housework.
None of the inventors of modern home appliances could have guessed what far-reaching effects their inventions would have on our society.

Now that's just downright ridiculous - not to mention that it is nothing less than rewriting history: the context is the early 20th century.... newsflash: how many male homemakers were there in the early 20th century? Replacing housewife with homemaker omits an important aspect, as does the replacement of his inventions with their inventions: all appliances happened to have been invented by males.......

Maybe I should pull a Bethany Hauf on my teacher, and submit the "unclean" version, then sue her (she's indeed female, so I can use "her" here, right? Or is that sexist?) for my lower grade

[rcgreen]

I can see a newspaper imposing rules of style on their reporters,
after all the company pays their salaries, but I think it is out
of line for a school to dictate style, so long as the grammar is
correct.

If I want to convey that I believe that it is usual for a woman
to do housework, I will unambiguously write it that way.
If my wife makes me do all the housework, oh well,
that's our own business.

No one is cured of prejudice by being forced to relearn
language every few years, every time a new political faction
gains control of the university.

What do you do with a language like French, where ordinary
inanimate objects have gender? Send American language police
over to teach them sensitivity?

[Egaladeist]

Hi Negative,

It's all ridiculous...janitor=maintenance worker=building superintendant; stewardess=hostess=flight attendant; man/woman=person; " a rose by any other name..."

everyone wants to change the world...problem is they'd rather nit-pick at incidentals rather than provide food, clothing, and the basic necessities of life.

Gee...Charity-Co-ordinator doesn't seem important enough...maybe I'll protest and change it to: Universal Director of External Affairs for Co-Ordinating Activities that Benefit Mankind...OPPS! Humankind...Sheeeeesh!

Now...that sounds better!

Eg

[debwalin]

So so so stupid. Like some guy who goes out and gets drunk every Friday night and then comes home and beats his wife is going to suddenly stop doing it because it's not "man"kind anymore?

It's a waste of time, energy, and political power. Who cares if it's women or womyn. It doesn't change what I am, or what I do with my life. It also doesn't change the way people treat me. There are so many other things we could address than word-play and make a real difference in the world.

[the_JinX]

Egaladeist: hostess, what are you thinking, person !!

/me gets back to reading..

add: Negative must know that in dutch all job aplications are for developer (m/f), host (m/f), houskeeper (m/f)
(m/v) in dutch

[Aspman]

Breaking news:

Men and Women are not the same.

One day it might sink in. All this PC crap is just giving underemployed politicians something to do.

[nihil]

Hi Negative,

If a frigging American p1$$es with the English Language just one more time, they will be glad to sprinkle anthrax on their cherios, so help me G od

Adam was a man, Eve was a woman, both were members of a species known as Man or "homo sapiens"

It is as difficult as that

[|3lack|ce]

and once again that hideous beast 'political correctness' rears its ugly head.

[rant]I'm sorry, I'm vocabulary challenged. Mankind will always be mankind, and means everybody. A female can be a policeman, policewoman, or whatever she wishes - I'll still call her a cop. I have never once had a 'girl friday,' nor have I ever heard a female addressed in such manner. If I ever do, I'll probably get the esteemed pleasure of watching her belt him squarely in his mouth, which is as it should be - however 'secretary' and 'personal assistant' are quite acceptable even under the (moronic) new sexually correct linguistics. Sorry folks, my wife will always be my wife, and I her husband - never my 'spouse' or my 'significant other'. Maybe I'm just too old and set in my crochety ways to accept such things as important... [/rant]

[RoadClosed]

Newspeak v1.1 from the left.

[mathgirl32]

Sensoring words...

That puts us one step closer to fascism. It's never going to end. This country is on a one-way road to hell!