GENERIC/PSEUDOGENERIC

A generic is an all-purpose word that includes everybody (e.g., workers, people, voters, civilians, elementary school students). Generic pronouns include: we, you, they.

A pseudogeneric is a word that is used as though it includes all people, but that in reality does not. Mankind, forefathers, brotherhood, and alumni are not generic because they leave out women. When used about Americans, immigrants leaves out all those who were here long before the first immigrants. “What a Christian thing to do!” uses Christian as a pseudogeneric for kind or good-Hearted and leaves out all kind, good-hearted people who are not Christians.

Although some speakers and writers say that when they use man or mankind they mean everybody, their listeners and readers do not perceive the word that way and these terms are thus pseudogenerics. The pronoun he when used to mean he and she is another pseudogeneric.

Certain generic nouns are often assumed to refer only to men, for example, politicians, physicians, lawyers, voters, legislators, clergy, farmers, colonists, immigrants, slaves, pioneers, settlers, members of the armed forces, judges, taxpayers. References to “settlers, their wives, and children,” or “those clergy permitted to have wives” are pseudogeneric.

In historical context it is particularly damaging for young people to read about settlers and explorers and pioneers as though they were all white men. Our language should describe the accomplishments of the human race in terms of all those who contributed to them.

<== попередня сторінка	\|	наступна сторінка ==>
GENDER-FREE/GENDER-FAIR/GENDER-SPECIFIC	\|	SEX AND GENDER

Не знайшли потрібну інформацію? Скористайтесь пошуком google:

Генерація сторінки за: 0.003 сек.