TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Subject:Re: No Subject From:Kris Olberg <KJOlberg -at- AOL -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 8 Dec 1995 21:46:30 -0500
In a message dated 95-12-08 16:08:35 EST, tscom005 -at- DUNX1 -dot- OCS -dot- DREXEL -dot- EDU
(kelly mullins) writes:
>There is a younger mental age group to whom "chairman" and "doctor" do not
>necessarily mean "male." The people in this group have grown up in a
>society with women doctors and lawyers and chairmen. "He" and "him" are
>grammatically correct pronouns used to refer to a singular antecedent, not
>gender biased words which imply that only males can be doctors.
I'm 35. I put myself in the age group you describe above. But "he" and "him"
still imply "male," no matter how you slice it. They most surely are
gender-biased words. In fact, awareness of gender bias has made me even more
sensitive to use of "he," "she," "him," etc.
When I write something to be published, I avoid introducing gender bias by
rewriting 100% of the time. Sometimes when writing a memo or other quick
thing, I cheat and let my subject and verb disagree.
Regards...Kris
---------------------------------------------
kjolberg -at- aol -dot- com
kjolberg -at- ix -dot- netcom -dot- com
102031 -dot- 3556 -at- compuserve -dot- com
