With English as the lingua franca in academia in the Netherlands, the lecture aims to raise awareness of sexist language, explain its pervasive nature, and promote guidelines on how to achieve written and spoken gender neutral language. According to Bytheway, research on sexist language shows that it reflects male dominance, even unconsciously, and reinforces the stereotypes of women being inferior to men. `The majority of English speaking countries have adopted language reform policies at government level,' says Bytheway, `but countries like the Netherlands, where English is the lingua franca, are lagging behind on issues like gender neutral language.'
The difficulty, claims Bytheway, is that people are resistant to change. A language reflects the society from which it evolved, and historically, English prospered in a male dominated society, establishing words like mankind and chairman. `The good news,' says Bytheway, `is that there are simple ways to avoid sexist language. If we refer to people in the plural form, the generic term “he” can be avoided. For example, “A student needs his…” becomes “Students need their…”and instead of using chairman or chairwoman, we can now simply use the “chair”.'
The unconscious nature of sexist language means it appears just about everywhere. Yet, in modern society where the sex of a person is considered irrelevant, these constant reminders perpetuate the idea that it is important. People still use terms like `male nurse' and `lady doctor.' Judgments are made on one sex and not the other, as in the case of a `working woman.' The use of a social title obliges women to reveal their marital status with the use of Mrs and Miss, while their male counterparts do not.
Bytheway stresses the need to highlight these problems. `An increase in awareness will help to promote change. Some people find these reforms irritating and tend to trivialize them. But research shows that language empowers men and disempowers women. Both sexes should be treated equally. And it's particularly important in an academic environment where educators are role models.'
Educated in New Zealand, Bytheway is proud of her heritage. `New Zealand is the only country in the world where all the highest offices were simultaneously held by women. Sometimes I feel like I've traveled back in time in the Netherlands. Sexist language is rife. I attended a public lecture at the UT last week where all students, lecturers and professors were referred to as he and him. And many UT authors seem to be unaware of the sexist language in their texts.'
In stressing the importance of gender neutral language to the UT community, Bytheway hopes to be instrumental in promoting good language practice that supports both sexes equally. `It's time for change.' she says. `If women are truly equal then it should be reflected in the language that we use every day.'
The opportunity to discuss the issues of gender neutral language will be provided at the lecture along with clear and simple guidelines on how to avoid sexist language. The lecture takes place on Thursday, June 4 from 4pm to 5pm in the Logica building. Interested participants can subscribe to attend by sending an email: [email protected]
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| Julie Bytheway |
