gender-neutral language is a form of linguistic prescriptivism that aims to minimize assumptions about the gender or biological sex of people referred to in speech or writing. ==rationale== proponents of gender-neutral language argue that the use of gender-specific language often implies male superiority or reflects an unequal state of society.spender (1980), x.miller and swift (1988), 45, 64, 66. according to the handbook of english linguistics, generic masculine pronouns and gender-specific job titles are instances "where english linguistic convention has historically treated men as prototypical of the human species."aarts, bas and april m. s. mcmahon. the handbook of english linguistics. malden, ma; oxford: blackwell pub., 2006, isbn 978-1-4051-1382-3. proponents also argue that words that refer to women often devolve in meaning, frequently taking on sexual overtones.spender (1980), 18. these differences in usage are criticized on two grounds: one, that they reflect a biased state of society,jacobsen. and two, that they help to uphold that state. studies of children, for instance, indicate that the words children hear affect their perceptions of the gender-appropriateness of certain careers.miller, casey, and kate swift. the handbook of non-sexist usage. other research has demonstrated that men and women apply for jobs in more equal proportions when gender-neutral language is used in the advertisement, as opposed to the generic he or man.mills, sara. feminist stylistics. some critics make the further claim that these differences in usage are not accidental, but have been deliberately created for the purpose of upholding a patriarchal society.spender (1980), 1-6. proponents of gender-neutral language give many examples of usages that they find problematic. ==areas== ===job titles===  gender-neutral job titles do not specify the gender of the person referred to, particularly when the gender is not in fact known, or is not yet specified (as in job advertisements). examples include firefighter instead of fireman; flight attendant instead of steward or stewardess; bartender instead of barman or barmaid; and chairperson or chair instead of chairman or chairwoman. there are also cases where a distinct female form exists, but the basic (or "male") form does not intrinsically indicate a male (such as by including man), and can equally well be applied to any member of the profession, whether male or female or of unspecified sex. examples include like actor and actress; usher and usherette; comedian and comedienne. in such cases, proponents of gender-neutral language generally advocate the non-use of the distinct female form (always using comedian
Disputes_in_English_grammar Etiquette Gender-neutral_language Sociolinguistics