Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site mit-eddie.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!mit-eddie!barry
From: barry@mit-eddie.UUCP (Mikki Barry)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: Hofstadter on sexism in the English language
Message-ID: <3917@mit-eddie.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 29-Mar-85 10:34:37 EST
Article-I.D.: mit-eddi.3917
Posted: Fri Mar 29 10:34:37 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 30-Mar-85 02:33:39 EST
References: <3913@mit-eddie.UUCP>
Distribution: net.women
Organization: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 13

BRAVO!  A wonderful article.  Thank you for sharing it with us.

Numeous Social Psych studies have been run on sexist languague and its
effect on the reader or listener regarding what type of person is
pictured.  It seems that both males and females picture men when
"he" is used, and a generic being when "they" is used.  Isn't this
worth a bit of grating on the ears until we get used to it?

I too was brought up with reading books that said "See Dick run, see Jane
watch".  It is a very tough thing to break out of.  Maybe using non
sexist languague is a step at a solution.

Mikki Barry