Re: Checking assumptions at the door?

Subject: Re: Checking assumptions at the door?
From: bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 04 Jun 2001 08:52:39 -0700

"Hart, Geoff" wrote:
>
> Opinions to the contrary notwithstanding, "he" _is_ considered inclusive in
> modern discourse because it's become, for better or worse, the default.
> That's emphatically _not_ to say that this makes the decision to use "he" a
> neutral decision; it has important consequences for one's audience, since a
> large proportion of women (perhaps the majority) now consider "he" to
> exclude them.

Not that I'm trying to take you personally to task or anything, but this
passage seems contradictory. If people are questioning the masculine
personal pronoun and trying to avoid using it, then obviously it's not
considered universally inclusive or the default.

In fact, simply to say that it's become the default sounds as if
language just happens, without any agency whatsoever. In fact, language
always reflects the concerns and the assumptions of whoever is using it.
In this case, "he" is probably used for no better reason than the fact
that, in the 18th century, when the usage became officially sanctioned,
writing and publishing was generally a male area (Austen and Radcliffe
notwithstanding), and to be male was considered the norm.

Personally, I don't see any reason to preserve this bit of history, any
more than bloodletting or public hangings.

--
Bruce Byfield 604.421.7177 bbyfield -at- axionet -dot- com

"He did like the ladies, the rise and the fall
Of their ankles and dresses out on the dance floor,
The roll of the dice, the turn of the wheel,
But he took most delight in those slip jigs and reels."
-House Band, "Slip Jigs and Reels"

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

*** Deva(tm) Tools for Dreamweaver and Deva(tm) Search ***
Build Contents, Indexes, and Search for Web Sites and Help Systems
Available now at http://www.devahelp.com or info -at- devahelp -dot- com

Sponsored by Cub Lea, specialist in low-cost outsourced development
and documentation. Overload and time-sensitive jobs at exceptional
rates. Unique free gifts for all visitors to http://www.cublea.com

---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.


Follow-Ups:

Previous by Author: Re: Thinking Patterns (was RE: Interviews (5 Year Question))
Next by Author: Re: Checking assumptions at the door? (Take II)
Previous by Thread: RE: Checking assumptions at the door?
Next by Thread: RE: Checking assumptions at the door?


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads