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Biased Language
by Arabian Princess Thu Jul 12, 2007 12:54 pm
It's important how to write an essay in English, but we need to know how to write the best words to use in our writig, so as to have a good written ESSAY
Biased Language
An important goal of proper word choice is to avoid language that is overtly or subtly biased against women or minority groups. For information on eliminating gender, ethnic, and racial bias from your writing, see Gender-Biased Words and Phrases and Ethnically and Racially Biased Words and Phrases. Guidelines are provided below for choosing language relating to disability and illness, sexual orientation, and age.
Disability and Illness
Many words that used to be routinely applied to disabled people—such as abnormal, crippled, defective, deformed, handicapped, and invalid—are now recognized as biased and offensive. While you should obviously not use these derogatory terms in any document, you should also be cautious about adopting recently coined euphemisms such as physically challenged, differently abled, and people with special needs. Many people consider these expressions patronizing. Usually, a more straightforward phrase—such as people with disabilities—is far less likely to offend.
Also be careful not to define a person exclusively by a disability or illness. For instance, deaf man is better rephrased as man with a hearing impairment and cancer patient as patient with cancer.
Avoid as well terms that describe disabled and ill people as victims. Confined to a wheelchair, for example, can be easily changed to the more neutral uses a wheelchair. Similarly, a person stricken with AIDS or suffering with AIDS is better identified as a merely a person with AIDS.
Sexual Orientation
In recent years, the term gay has become the most widely acceptable term for males with a same-sex orientation, while lesbian is usually the favored term for females. Homosexual is also in common use, although some people find this word offensive.
Because gay has become so identified with men, avoid using it to refer to people of both genders. Instead use gay men and lesbians if the context requires a noun and gay and lesbian if it calls for an adjective.
Age
Older adults or older people is usually preferred to more pejorative phrases such as elderly people or the aged. Senior citizens and seniors are also usually acceptable if applied to a person older than 65.
KiNd ReGaRdS
Arabian Princess
Biased Language
An important goal of proper word choice is to avoid language that is overtly or subtly biased against women or minority groups. For information on eliminating gender, ethnic, and racial bias from your writing, see Gender-Biased Words and Phrases and Ethnically and Racially Biased Words and Phrases. Guidelines are provided below for choosing language relating to disability and illness, sexual orientation, and age.
Disability and Illness
Many words that used to be routinely applied to disabled people—such as abnormal, crippled, defective, deformed, handicapped, and invalid—are now recognized as biased and offensive. While you should obviously not use these derogatory terms in any document, you should also be cautious about adopting recently coined euphemisms such as physically challenged, differently abled, and people with special needs. Many people consider these expressions patronizing. Usually, a more straightforward phrase—such as people with disabilities—is far less likely to offend.
Also be careful not to define a person exclusively by a disability or illness. For instance, deaf man is better rephrased as man with a hearing impairment and cancer patient as patient with cancer.
Avoid as well terms that describe disabled and ill people as victims. Confined to a wheelchair, for example, can be easily changed to the more neutral uses a wheelchair. Similarly, a person stricken with AIDS or suffering with AIDS is better identified as a merely a person with AIDS.
Sexual Orientation
In recent years, the term gay has become the most widely acceptable term for males with a same-sex orientation, while lesbian is usually the favored term for females. Homosexual is also in common use, although some people find this word offensive.
Because gay has become so identified with men, avoid using it to refer to people of both genders. Instead use gay men and lesbians if the context requires a noun and gay and lesbian if it calls for an adjective.
Age
Older adults or older people is usually preferred to more pejorative phrases such as elderly people or the aged. Senior citizens and seniors are also usually acceptable if applied to a person older than 65.
KiNd ReGaRdS
Arabian Princess
Arabian Princess- New Honorable Memeber
- Number of posts : 5
Registration date : 2007-07-11
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