Abstract
“The influence of language on thought is obligatory or at least habitual: thought is always, or under most circumstances, guided by language.” (Malt et al, 2003)
As the surgical workforce diversifies, the hierarchies and gender norms that have long characterized the profession are being challenged. This culture change has created a climate where overt discrimination is no longer tolerated and overall rates are declining.1 However, while these gains are commendable, discrimination has not disappeared—it has become subtler. Implicit biases, which are the automatic and often unconscious beliefs each of us hold, are a key example and may contribute to the well-recognized gender achievement gap in surgery.
Implicit biases can manifest in many ways, from decisions regarding who should be on an expert panel to the posture we assume when speaking with a colleague, but one of the most powerful ways implicit bias can act is through language. Currently, many in surgery lack a robust understanding of how their language can perpetuate gender or other stereotypes. Often, when it comes to terminology reform, male and female skeptics alike shrug off a need for change, dismissing any linguistic modernization as mere political-correctness. This approach is neither helpful nor appropriate. Here, we review the science detailing the ways language reinforces gender inequality and offer strategies to decrease linguistic bias.
As the surgical workforce diversifies, the hierarchies and gender norms that have long characterized the profession are being challenged. This culture change has created a climate where overt discrimination is no longer tolerated and overall rates are declining.1 However, while these gains are commendable, discrimination has not disappeared—it has become subtler. Implicit biases, which are the automatic and often unconscious beliefs each of us hold, are a key example and may contribute to the well-recognized gender achievement gap in surgery.
Implicit biases can manifest in many ways, from decisions regarding who should be on an expert panel to the posture we assume when speaking with a colleague, but one of the most powerful ways implicit bias can act is through language. Currently, many in surgery lack a robust understanding of how their language can perpetuate gender or other stereotypes. Often, when it comes to terminology reform, male and female skeptics alike shrug off a need for change, dismissing any linguistic modernization as mere political-correctness. This approach is neither helpful nor appropriate. Here, we review the science detailing the ways language reinforces gender inequality and offer strategies to decrease linguistic bias.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 932-933 |
| Number of pages | 2 |
| Journal | Annals of Surgery |
| Volume | 266 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 12 Dec 2017 |
Research Groups and Themes
- Centre for Surgical Research
Access to Document
- Full-text PDF (accepted author manuscript)
This is the author accepted manuscript (AAM). The final published version (version of record) is available online via Wolters Kluwer at https://journals.lww.com/annalsofsurgery/fulltext/2017/12000/What_is_in_a_Pronoun___Why_Gender_fair_Language.6.aspx. Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.