This document discusses avoiding bias in language and provides guidelines for inclusive writing. It defines bias as a tendency towards a particular perspective that interferes with impartiality. Various sources of bias are explored, including environment, experience, education, peers, beliefs, ignorance and language. Examples of biased language relating to race, gender, disability, age, religion and sexual orientation are given. The document recommends using person-first language, gender-neutral terms, and paralleling terms when referring to different groups to avoid bias.
3. Objectives
Understand types of bias
Give examples of language bias
Eliminate language bias from writing
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4. Definition
Tendency or preference towards a particular
perspective, ideology or result, when the
tendency interferes with the ability to be
impartial, unprejudiced, or objective.. In
other words, bias is generally seen as a
'one-sided' perspective. ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bias
Everyone has biases
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5. There is no truth. There is only
perception. Gustave Flaubert
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Escher
6. Perception
Our perceptions are our reality
Our biases are our perceptions
Our biases can blind one to reality
Our biases can exclude other
Our biases can limit one’s experience of
life
Our biases can be dangerous
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7. Diversity in the Work Place
Advantages Disadvantages
Broader work force
Wider approach to
problem solving
Exposure to interesting
people
Expands outlook on life
Increases tolerance
Communication issues
Value issues
Conflict
Discrimination,
harassment, and bullying
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8. Sources of Bias
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Environment
Experience
Education
Peers
Beliefs
Ignorance
Language
9. Environment
Bias is based on
How one is raised
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10. Experience
Bias is based on
Induction – experience
○ Make-up is used only by women
Stereotypes
○ Computer geeks are inept with women
Faulty logic
○ Terrorists are bad people
○ Arabs are terrorists
○ Arabs are bad people
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False
11. Education
Bias based on
When educated
Where educated
Amount of education
Exposure
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12. Peers
Bias based on
whom one socializes
with
Fear of ostracism
Need to be in
Crowd (mob)
mentality
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13. Beliefs
Culture
Democracy is the best form of government
Women are equal to men
Chauvinism – kindness based on
superiority
○ The poor people in Africa just need our help to
lead better lives.
Religious
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14. Ignorance
What is unknown
may be miss
understood
What is unknown
can be frightening
What is unknown
can be dangerous
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Boroboro Tribesman -- Africa
15. Offensive Bias
Offensive bias is the use of words or phrases that
some readers may find insensitive.
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• Old people should not be allowed to
drive.Blatant
• I had a blond moment.Subtle
• On Secretary's Day one should buy
one’s secretary flowers and take her to
lunch.
Presumptive
16. Language Bias
Race and ethnicity
Sexual Orientation
Disability
Age
Religion
Gender
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Language bias is bias based upon changes in
social awareness and word usage.
17. Race and Ethnic Bias
Do not hyphenate multi-word names –
Asian American
Unless the term is not a separate word –
Afro-American
Either Black or African American is
acceptable
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18. Race and Ethnic Bias
Either American Indian or Native
American is acceptable.
When practical use tribal names
Use Asian rather than Oriental
Do not use a singular when referring to
a group of people
The Seminole fought a war. The
Seminoles fought a war.
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19. Sexual Orientation Bias
Use sexual orientation rather than
sexual preference when discussing
homosexuality or heterosexuality.
Lesbian and gay male is preferred to
homosexual.
Avoid terms like – mannish, womanish,
effeminate
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20. Disability Bias
Put the people first
not their disability
Avoid the and
disability – the blind
Avoid comparisons
that are not relevant
She dresses very well
for a blind person.
Disabled person
person with a
disability
Mentally ill person
person with mental
illness
AIDS patient
person with AIDS
Wheelchair bound
person person who
uses a wheel chair
Mentally retarded
mentally challenged
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21. Age Bias
Avoid age stereotypes
Golden agers
Over the hill
Wet behind the ears
Old folks
Just a kid
Don’t use adjectives as nouns
Elderly – The elderly should not drive cars.
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X
22. Religion Bias
Be aware of historical words
Crusade, Inquisition
Avoid disparaging terms – holy roller,
orthodox beliefs, fundamentalist
Preferred Islamic spellings
Moslem Muslim
Koran Qur’an
Mohammed Muhammad
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23. Gender Bias
The goal is gender neutral writing.
Gender bias is ancient
and is still pervasive
It arises from stereotypes
of male/female roles
It is embedded in our
language
It is often subconscious
Issues
Male/female
Transgender
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24. Gender Terms
Use girls and boys to refer to people under
the age of 18
Use parallel terms – ladies and gentlemen,
men and women, husband and wives
Do not use coed to describe only female
students
Avoid using sex when gender is meant.
Sex can be unclear because it refers to the
sex act as well as gender.
She didn’t get the job because of her sex.
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26. Gender Bias -- Pronouns
The goal is gender neutral writing.
Our language has no personal pronoun besides it which
is gender neutral.
Few would like to be referred to as it.
It took the money to the bank for deposit.
Our language is being challenged and changed,
150 years ago the singular forms of you fell from common usage.
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Gender
Gender is used to indicate the sex of
what the pronoun refers to.
Gender has three sexes: masculine,
feminine and neuter.
Gender is only used in the third person
singular personal pronouns—he, she it.
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Gender — Forms Personal Pronouns
I Me My/Mine
We Us Our/Ours
Thee Thou Thine
Ye You Your
Masc. He Him His
Fem. She Her Hers
Neuter It It Its
They Them Their/Theirs
Plural
Singular
Plural
1st
2nd
Person
3rd
Possessive
Case
Plural
Number Subjective Objective
Gender
Singular
Singular
29. Gender Agreement
Pronouns must be consistent in gender
with what they refer to
The book for the class is on my desk. She is
difficult to read.
English only uses masculine and
feminine gender for people and animals
that have true sex characteristics
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30. Gender Exceptions
Boats and cars are sometimes referred to
as she
Very young children are occasionally
referred to as it
○ Mabel has a new baby, and it is so sweet.?
Animals are neuter unless the animal has a
clear gender
○ The dog was big. It was ferocious too.
○ My dog Betty is a sweetie. She brings me the
paper every day.
○ The hen stopped laying eggs, so she is soup now.
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Gender Bias – What to Do
Need to avoid using masculine
pronouns when the antecedent can be
either male or female.
A student should study daily if he wants to
be successful.
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Gender Bias — Solution
Some experts suggest new pronouns,
zhe,zher,zhis
ne, ner, nis.
But most thoughtful writers seek solutions
within the confines of current English
usage.
33. Gender Bias – Solution 1
Replace with he
or she
A student should
study daily if he
or she wants to
be successful.
S/he He/she is not
acceptable in
formal writing
Avoid awkward
repetitions
The student should
have his or her
textbook with him or
her in class.
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34. Gender Bias – Solution 2
Use an indefinite pronoun
A student should study daily if one wants to
be successful.
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Gender Bias – Solution 3
Change nouns to plural
Students should study daily if they want to
be successful.
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Gender Bias – Solution 4
Remove pronouns
The student should have his or her textbook
with him or her in class.
The student should have the textbook in
class.
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Gender Bias – Grammar Error
Do not mix singulars with plurals
A student should study daily if they want to
be successful.
Each of the students should study daily if
they want to be successful.
38. Gender Exercise 1
.
He or she should use gender neutral
writing if he or she want to be
sensitive to the reader.
The actor performed her role well
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C I
C I
39. Gender Exercise 2
.
Timothy was constantly mothering his
13 year old daughter.
Everyone should be proficient in word
processing because they will use it
every day
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C I
C I
40. Gender Exercise 3
.
Tiffany Wong is Oriental by heritage,
but American by culture.
Oscar was a queer as a three dollar
bill.
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C I
C I
41. Gender Exercise 4
.
An effective business man always has
his cell phone handy.
Stephanie was known for her catholic
tastes in music.
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C I
C I
42. Summary
Respect people
Be aware and sensitive
Slang and vulgar words are always
inappropriate
Be specific when possible
Hispanic Cuban, Mentally ill paranoid
Do not mention issues which are not important
The female doctor was very good diagnostician.
Follow the wishes of the group being
described.
Ask if in doubt.
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43. Resources
APA http://www.apastyle.org/styletips.html
A Guide to Bias Free Writing
http://tps.studentorg.wisc.edu/TPS/facultysenate/bia
sfree.pdf
Guidelines for Inclusiveness
http://www.elcic.ca/docs/inclusive.html
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