We all use language as a means of communication, expressing, and understanding with each other. It binds us, connects us, and create an environment where each of us feels welcomed and included.
The language also has the power to offer the validation and acknowledgment of the identities.
As the legend says “With great power comes great responsibility”, therefore it is very important to choose our words wisely and inclusively. For example, using phrases such as “Mankind” to describe Everyone on Earth has an unconscious bias towards half of this world’s population.
We all have biases, some are conscious and some are unconscious, like everyone else for the good part of my early adult life I had some unconscious biases. For example, in the past, I used to address a group of people as “Hey guys”. There is nothing wrong to use the word “Guys” when there are only men sitting in the room but when the group is diverse it also meant that I was not acknowledging everyone in the room. It was a small self-reflection and a glimpse of how one of the most common greetings in the English language can create conflicted feelings.
In another instance, we all might have probably heard this riddle:
A father and son get into a car crash and are rushed to the hospital. The father dies. The boy is taken to the operating room, but the surgeon says, “I can’t operate on this boy because he’s my son.” How can this be?
The answer, of course, is that the surgeon is the boy’s mother. However, because of gender bias, many people cannot solve the riddle; subconsciously, they can’t imagine the surgeon as a woman. (Younger people tend to solve it more easily because they’ve grown up in a world with a larger focus on gender equality.)
We all have an implicit bias or subconscious prejudice, that affects the words we use. And despite our best efforts, sometimes our word choice may send the wrong message.
What is Inclusive Language?
For communication to be effective, it needs to appropriately address all audiences for which it is intended. Inclusive Language acknowledges diversity, conveys respect to all people, is sensitive to differences, and promotes equitable opportunities.
Inclusive language allows you to resonate with more audiences by speaking and writing in more impartial ways.
Inclusive language seeks to acknowledge and celebrate diversity, considering with sensitivity the experiences of all people.
Why it matters?
Being insensitive or ignorant to people/communities, especially since they are often people/communities whose status in society is already difficult and stigmatized. Their exclusion certainly contributes to the marginalization of people/communities.
Inclusive language opens up and amplifies the message to more people hence appealing to the wider audience and acceptance. It gives a sense of belonging to everyone addressed. It creates and builds trust.
We all have a responsibility to use inclusive language as part of creating positive workplace cultures. Inclusive language is also about treating all people equitably and with the sensitivity and respect, they are entitled to.
Based on my experience, I have listed down some learnings:
Exclusionary: Female Engineer/Astronaut/Doctor/Scientist (or any other profession)
Inclusive: Remove female unless relevant (e.g., first female astronaut to fly in space). The same applies to males; don’t write male nurse or male teacher, for example.
Exclusionary: Mankind/Manpower/Chairman/Spokesman
Inclusive: Avoid references to a person’s gender except where it is pertinent to the discussion — this usually involves using gender-neutral terms like ‘humanity’ or ‘people’ instead of ‘mankind’, ‘workforce’ or ‘labor’ instead of ‘manpower’ and ‘the chair’ or ‘the chairperson’ instead of ‘the chairman’. Don’t say ‘spokesman’, instead, use ‘spokesperson’.
Exclusionary: Special Needs/Special Handling/Special
Inclusive: Don’t use the term ‘special’ when referring to people with disability — they don’t have ‘special needs’, they are not ‘special’, they don’t require ‘special handling’.
Exclusionary: First World, Third World
Inclusive: developed nations, developing nations
Exclusionary: He/She or Him/Her
Inclusive: Use gender-neutral pronouns — ‘they’ is considered acceptable and by changing a sentence to plural it often resolves the clumsy issue of ‘he/she’ or ‘him/her’ in written communication.
Exclusionary: Whitelist/Blacklist
Inclusive: The terms “whitelist” and “blacklist” are not self-explanatory. Instead use allowlist/denylist, also: blocklist.
Exclusionary: Master/Slave
Inclusive: The term “slave” has negative connotations, try to use primary/replica, dispatcher/worker, coordinator/executor.
Below are some good resources to learn about Inclusive language and why it matters.
- Communication Guidelines by University of Oregon
- An Incomplete Guide to Inclusive Language for Startups and Tech by Buffer
- Why disability-inclusive language matters
- How to Use & Promote Inclusive Language at Your Organization
- The Guide to Inclusive Language
I hope, this condensed list of resources will help to kickstart your inclusive language journey in the right direction. There are loads of excellent online resources and if you have any useful resources, please add it in the comments.
In the end, It’s important to remember none of us will get it “perfect” 100% of the time, but admitting when we’ve made mistakes and consistently working to communicate more inclusively are two major steps towards creating a more unified workforce, and creating deeper connections with our colleagues.
