Monday, November 3, 2008
Male Generic Language
I have a teacher that noticed he kept saying "you guys" when he talked to us. He said he recognized that you guys doesn't refer to females, so he decided to start saying "you students." He corrected himself several times that particular day, saying "you g, you students." Now he's back to the "you guys." It doesn't offend me at all when people say that. I thought it was funny that he said students instead...it just doesn't sound right. I applaud his recognition but, either way, it made me laugh.
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4 comments:
I think it is funny that you mentioned that. I work with kids between the ages of 4-7 and even they recognize male generic language. Just the other day I was addressing the group and I said "you guys" and this little six year old girl raises her hand and says, "I am not a guy. I am a girl." I started laughing and it made me think about this class. It even made me realize that young children do recognize it when they hear it.
I still have a hard time trying not to say "you guys". Where I work I am always asking the customers so how are "you guys doing" when it is a female and a male or even two females. After I say it I try to correct my self by saying "yall" or "how ya doing" I dunno just trying to correct it. It feels so natural to say "you guys" and I don't take offence to it when people say it to me and my girlfriends or when I am with another guy. But it would be more proper to say something else besides "you guys".
Coming from a guy its weird because we are so use to these terms that if these terms are spotlighted only then will it sound weird for us. Terms like mankind and guys sounds normal to me. I think it includes everybody although it can be argued that it includes only men. Its kind of hard, and it may even be too late to change the male generic language, but i feel we all can make an effort to make everyone feel included.
Instead of saying "how are you guys" you could say "how is everyone". You have just become stuck in a routine of saying it but it can be broken!
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