
Inclusive language is a
language style that seeks to avoid expressions that its proponents perceive as expressing or implying ideas that are
sexist
Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but primarily affects women and girls. It has been linked to gender roles and stereotypes, and may include the belief that one sex or gender is int ...
,
racist
Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...
, or otherwise
biased,
prejudiced, or insulting to particular group(s) of people; and instead uses language intended by its proponents to avoid offense and fulfill the ideals of
egalitarianism
Egalitarianism (; also equalitarianism) is a school of thought within political philosophy that builds on the concept of social equality, prioritizing it for all people. Egalitarian doctrines are generally characterized by the idea that all hum ...
,
social inclusion and equity. Its aim is bias-free communication, that attempts to be equally inclusive of people of all
ethnicities,
gender identities,
sexual orientations,
religious affiliations, abilities, and ages by communicating in a way that makes no assumptions about the receiver of such communication.
Its supporters argue that language is often used to perpetuate and spread prejudice and that creating intention around using inclusive language can help create more productive, safe, and profitable organizations and societies. The term "
political correctness" is sometimes used to refer to this practice, either as a neutral description by supporters, by commentators in general, or with negative connotations by its opponents.
Use of gender-neutral terminology has been controversial in languages where "
all grammar is gendered", such as Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and German; some areas have banned its use.
Anti-gender movements, including actors identifying as
gender-critical, have increasingly targeted inclusive language, especially in contexts where it affirms
trans and
non-binary
Non-binary or genderqueer Gender identity, gender identities are those that are outside the male/female gender binary. Non-binary identities often fall under the transgender umbrella since non-binary people typically identify with a gende ...
identities. Scholars have described this resistance as part of a broader ideological backlash, often rooted in essentialist and binary notions of sex and gender, and aimed at policing language to delegitimize
gender diversity.
[
Inclusive language is usually adopted by following a language guide that lists words and expression not to use and substitutes for them. Language guides are used by many organizations, especially non-profits (at least in the United States).]
Bias
An important part of communicating in a bias-free manner is by making sure to engaging in meaningful conversations using bias-free language. The writer's word choice is vital in terms of effectively communicating in ways that do not offend the receiver. According to Locker, "Bias-free language is language that is sensitive to people's sex, race, age, physical condition and many other categories. Bias-free language does not discriminate and therefore includes all readers in a fair and friendly manner."
Bias exists everywhere, even if it is not always acknowledged. If a verbal or written communication includes any of the following, it may be biased:
# Unsupported claims.
# Extreme or inappropriate language.
# For written text, there may be no clear author.
# Spoken communication may have a speaker with a poor reputation.
These sources should be questioned for their bias because it could impact their validity in their points. Therefore, avoiding bias in all communication will ensure that the point is crystal clear and the speaker is trusted.
Scope
France
In French, a reference to a mixed-gender group of friends would traditionally be written as "amis", but a gender-neutral variation changed its spelling to "ami·e·s." However, in May 2021, the Minister for Education wrote to schools across the country to say that "so-called 'inclusive' writing should be avoided, which notably uses the midpoint to simultaneously reveal the feminine and masculine forms of a word used in the masculine when it is used in a generic sense."
Argentina
As of June 2022, the city government of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, banned teachers "from using any gender-neutral words during class and in communications with parents", on the grounds that it "violated the rules of Spanish and stymied students' reading comprehension". At least five organizations, "a mix of gay rights and civil rights groups", have filed lawsuits seeking to overturn" the ruling. The governor of Buenos Aires province, Axel Kicillof, rejected the authority of the Royal Spanish Academy, citing the Argentine War of Independence
The Argentine War of Independence () was a secessionist civil war (until 1816) fought from 1810 to 1818 by Argentine patriotic forces under Manuel Belgrano, Juan José Castelli, Martín Miguel de Güemes, Martin Miguel de Guemes and José de ...
as a reason. Darío Villanueva Prieto, from the RAE, clarified that the RAE does not use the slang of Spanish language from the Iberian peninsula, but that it receives input from all countries in the world where the language is spoken.
Uruguay
In December 2021, Uruguay's public education agency issued a memo to limit use of inclusive language.
United States
Organizations in the U.S. with equity language guides include The Sierra Club, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association
The American Heart Association (AHA) is a nonprofit organization in the United States that funds cardiovascular medical research, educates consumers on healthy living and fosters appropriate Heart, cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability ...
, American Medical Association
The American Medical Association (AMA) is an American professional association and lobbying group of physicians and medical students. This medical association was founded in 1847 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Membership was 271,660 ...
, National Recreation and Park Association, Columbia University School of Professional Studies, University of Washington
The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...
. According to George Packer, most of these guides are based on other guides such as ''A Progressive's Style Guide'', the ''Racial Equity Tools glossary'', and others.
Several tech companies promotes or provide inclusive language guides: Google, Apple, Microsoft, IBM
International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...
, Cisco Talos, SAP.
Examples
English
Inclusive language in English, at least in the United States, goes well beyond gender inclusivity, the following with varying levels or usage.
Impact
Inclusion and divisiveness
Political correctness and inclusive language both focus on attempting to use neutral terms and expressions to influence psychological and social forces to combat prejudices, stereotypes, etc. However, what may be, and in many cases already has, happened is that while some markets and audiences embrace the new language, others react against it (an example being the alleged " War on Christmas"). Whether businesses and organizations embrace or reject the language, they risk alienating the opposing side. Thus inclusive language has become part of "culture wars".
Anti-gender opposition
Dorothee Beck writes that gender-inclusive language "is a trigger point for ‘ anti-gender’ attacks," and describes it as "an important aspect of a broader political ‘crusade’ against gender." Lucy Jones writes, in her review of scholarly literature on language, gender, and sexuality, that anti-gender and gender-critical actors often resist the adoption of inclusive and nonbinary language, particularly in relation to pronouns
In linguistics and grammar, a pronoun ( glossed ) is a word or a group of words that one may substitute for a noun or noun phrase.
Pronouns have traditionally been regarded as one of the parts of speech, but some modern theorists would not con ...
and the recognition of transgender and nonbinary identities. Jones notes that gender-critical feminists frequently reject linguistic practices that affirm trans and nonbinary identities, often citing the preservation of " sex-based rights" as justification. She observes that this resistance is typically framed by a binary and essentialist ideology that defines "woman" exclusively as someone assigned female at birth. Drawing on this scholarship, Jones characterizes gender-critical resistance to inclusive language as part of a broader "cisnormative preoccupation with trans people’s bodies" and a form of linguistic policing aimed at denying the legitimacy of trans and nonbinary identities.[ Jones situates these discursive patterns within a wider political context by citing Borba (2022), who examines the emergence of an "anti-gender register" used in trans-exclusionary discourse, including gender-critical feminism. Borba argues that this register, which draws on essentialist ideas about sex and gender, has gained traction through a process of enregisterment, a way of making certain ideological positions appear natural or commonsensical. He further suggests that this has been achieved in part by appropriating the language of feminist and LGBTQ+ antidiscrimination activism, reframing it to emphasize threats to the rights of cisgender women and children.]
See also
* Bias-free communication
* Cancel culture
* Color-blind casting
* Communication rights
* Euphemism
A euphemism ( ) is when an expression that could offend or imply something unpleasant is replaced with one that is agreeable or inoffensive. Some euphemisms are intended to amuse, while others use bland, inoffensive terms for concepts that the u ...
* List of politically motivated renamings
* Newspeak
* Plain language
Plain language is writing designed to ensure the reader understands as quickly, easily, and completely as possible. Plain language strives to be easy to read, understand, and use. It avoids verbose, convoluted language and jargon. In many countr ...
* Speech code
* Stereotypes
References
{{reflist
External links
Guidelines for Unbiased Language (PDF Table)
from APA Style manual
'Allistic' Cambridge Dictionary
Inclusive Naming Initiative
United Nations, Gender inclusive language
Linguistic controversies
Political terminology
Dysphemisms
Etiquette
Identity politics
Gender-neutral language
Discrimination
Social inclusion