M. Use of Inclusive Language in Academic Work |
A Guideline for Undergraduate and Taught Postgraduate Students The University of Hong Kong is committed to creating, promoting and maintaining an environment for staff and students which provides equality of opportunity and is free of any discrimination or harassment. This Guideline on the Use of Inclusive Language in Academic Work aims to encourage students to be aware of the ways in which the use of language can marginalise, demean, and exclude social groups such as women, sexual minorities, ethnic groups, persons with physical or psychosocial disabilities, etc. This often occurs through unconscious bias and lack of awareness of the implications of the language we use. This guideline aims to increase awareness of these issues and to generate a more thoughtful and respectful use of language. To further these aims, the University encourages all students to adopt the principles of inclusive language in their academic work in all languages, whether written or spoken. Inclusive language helps to reduce discrimination by promoting a balanced and considerate engagement with social diversity. It avoids words and phrases that stereotype, marginalise and demean social groups. General Principles: When engaging in writing, discussing, and making oral presentations, students should bear these general principles in mind:
Examples: The following examples illustrate some areas in which students should think about using non-discriminatory language. * When speaking of people generally, use person-centric language (ensure groups, especially gender groups, are not inadvertently rendered invisible):
* When using word-pairs repeatedly, vary the word orders to avoid dominant word hierarchies. For instance:
* When it is relevant to identify a group, address all its members:
* When describing groups of people, use respectful terms (avoid derogatory or outdated terms):
* When referring to individuals and groups, use their preferred terminology:
* When presenting case studies and illustrations, use a diverse range of examples relevant to your discussion and assume a diverse audience:
* When referring to people with disabilities, avoid language that stigmatizes, or that defines people solely in terms of their disability:
Useful references: American Psychological Association - General Guidelines for Reducing Bias http://supp.apa.org/style/pubman-ch03.00.pdf American Philosophical Association - Guidelines for Non-Sexist Use of Language http://www.apaonline.org/?page=nonsexist Princeton University - Utilizing gender inclusive language https://www.princeton.edu/hr/progserv/communications/inclusivelanguage.pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology http://web.mit.edu/comdor/editguide/style-matters/gender_neutral.html University of Pittsburgh Gender - Inclusive Guidelines http://www.wstudies.pitt.edu/node/1432 University College London - Guide to Non-Discriminatory Language http://www.ucl.ac.uk/staff/resources/non-discrim-lang/ University of Leicester - Inclusive writing https://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/ld/resources/writing/writing-resources/inclusive The UK Government - Inclusive language https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-communication/inclusive-language-words-to-use-and-avoid-when-writing-about-disability |