6 his/hers: language and gender

Geoffrey Pullum, “She’s they until you acknowledge her,” from Language Log, Dec. 14, 2004.

"There is a subtle and beautiful system here. It is not to be dismissed with the idiotic sexist authoritarianism of Strunk and White's The Elements of Style (p. 60: 'Do not use they... Use the singular pronoun... he'), which so many Americans believe is gospel."

In this weblog post, linguist Geoffrey Pullum provides a detailed analysis of the use of singular “they” by an accomplished BBC journalist and argues that such a usage provides authors with a unique tool for literary subtlety.

Read this article

For Response

1. What is Pullum’s principal argument in this essay? What subtleties does the use of the singular “they” contribute to Quist-Arcton’s account? Do you agree with Pullum’s argument? Why or why not?

2. Pullum mentions that Quist-Arcton has “an extraordinarily clear, refined, impeccable, BBC British accent.” Do you think Pullum is referring to her speech or her writing? Could such information be gleaned from a person’s writing alone? Why or why not?

3. Do you use singular “they” in informal conversation? In writing? (You very likely are not aware of whether you do; try to monitor yourself and your conversation partners for a week and see if there are any surprises.) It can be argued that we are in the midst of change. Do some research on current practice; you may want to start with a Google search on the phrase “singular ‘they.’” Do you think its use is becoming more common? More acceptable? Do your findings concur with Pullum’s assertion that speakers of British English are more comfortable using singular “they”? Why or why not? Write an essay addressing these questions, and provide evidence to support your argument.

Del Jones, “Watch your language, ladies,” from USA Today, Nov. 23, 2004.

“It may be unfair and a double standard, but high-ranking women say careers can be damaged by saying ’the hell with it,’ or other words that seem tame coming from men.”

A report that examines a seldom-discussed language-related facet of workplace gender discrimination.

Read this article

For Response

1. How do you think Jones feels about the phenomenon being reported-- that the discrimination is a problem? That it is no big deal? That the situation is exactly as it should be? What evidence can you find from the article to support your conclusions? The author’s name, Del Jones, is not clearly gender-marked. Would you be able to respond more easily to these questions if you knew clearly whether Jones was a woman or a man? Is it possible to have a point of view on this topic that is not influenced by one’s own gender identity? Why or why not?

2. Do you personally have a double standard about language use? Are there words or phrases that you find inappropriate for women that are acceptable when used by men? Is the context important? Does it matter whether the conversation is among women and men together or only among members of one or the other sex? Jones’s article makes no distinctions between profanity and ordinary phrases such as “keeping abreast” or “worked my butt off.” Do you make such a distinction? Why or why not? To what extent does your own gender identity influence your ideas on this subject? Discuss your opinions and ideas with two or three classmates.

3. Although Jones doesn’t specify particular industries or job levels, the report asserts that women’s careers are damaged by particular kinds of language use in meetings and casual conversations that would not even be noticed on the part of men in equivalent positions. In your experience, are Jones’s assertions correct? Interview five women who hold different positions about their experiences with the kinds of language use described by Jones. Do they concur? Why or why not? Discuss your findings with two or three classmates, then write an essay responding to Jones’s report, using your results and those of your classmates to support or rebut Jones’s assertions.

TOP   |   PRINT THIS PAGE