JANUARY 2024

From the World of Conscious Language

Note: The authors' viewpoints are not necessarily shared by CSG.

GENDER, SEX + SEXUALITY

Museum Classifies Roman Emperor as Trans—but Modern Labels Oversimplify Ancient Gender Identities

“To attempt to crudely ascribe modern labels to ancient figures such as Elagabalus is not only to strip them of their agency, but also to oversimplify what is a wonderfully, fabulously broad and nuanced subject.” Read >

TEACHING CHILDREN

How to Argue in Front of Your Kids in a Way That’s Actually Healthy, According to an Expert

“Teaching our kids how to disagree in a healthy and respectful way will help them not only in the short term but ultimately help determine how they speak with their partner in future relationships.” Read >

ETHNICITY, RACE + NATIONALITY / RELIGION

How the Word “Voodoo” Became a Racial Slur

“When someone makes a statement like, ‘That just sounds like some “voodoo” to me!’ they are co-signing the long racist history of the term and promoting the idea that religions from Africa are primitive, evil and barbaric.” Read >

CREATIVE WRITING

What Is the Bechdel Test?

“Keeping [the Bechdel test] in mind will help direct your attention to issues that might not be obvious in your early drafts.” Read >

PLAIN LANGUAGE

Plain Language Is Key to DEI in Academe

“We are not suggesting that everything we write as academics needs to be in plain language…But we do believe it could be of great use in higher education—including in making our work, and our students’ future work, more accessible to the public, where it may have a much greater impact.” Read >

AGE

Don’t Call Me “Old”: Avoiding Ageism When Writing About Aging

“Use ‘we’ and ‘us’ instead of ‘they’ and ‘them’ when appropriate. We are all aging, and many issues that affect older adults also affect younger populations.” Read >

EMPOWERMENT

A Guide to Difficult Conversations for People Who Hate Confrontation

“Left unaddressed, even minor concerns can brew into resentment, anger, and depression.” Read >

GENDER, SEX + SEXUALITY

Why Parents Give Their Children a Last Name Other Than the Father’s

“When you’re talking about what last name should the baby have, you’re talking about tradition, you’re talking about feminism, you’re talking about your values and politics.”—Lorelei Vashti, author, How to Choose Your Baby’s Last Name: A Handbook for New Parents Read >

CLIMATE + ENVIRONMENT

I’m a Reporter and I Know Why Talking About Climate Change Makes Local TV News Nervous

“Reporters and meteorologists cannot let themselves be silenced by the fear of a loud minority. Unless it sounds like someone is truly interested in a civil discussion, best to just ignore the comments.” Read >

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TEACHING CHILDREN

How to Talk to Kids About War, Crime and Violence: An Age-by-Age Guide

“Avoid negative labels like ‘bad guys’ and ‘evil,’ because they’re not helpful and may fuel more fear. Instead, you can talk about people being unwell and making bad decisions.” Read >

HEALTH

Why Doctors and Nurses Should Use More Plain Language and Less Jargon

“The onus should be on the healthcare provider, rather than the healthcare recipient, to make sure that they are communicating in a clear manner.” Read >

EMPOWERMENT

Study: Breaking Gender Stereotypes Leads to More Effective Communication

“It’s not just about whether people should apologize more or less, but how we can construct apologies differently.” Read >

PLAIN LANGUAGE

A New Tool Helps Disabled People Track—and Shape—Laws That Impact Them

New Disabled South’s Plain Language Policy Dashboard makes the language of bills more accessible and covers fourteen states in the U.S. Read >

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Children Face Unequal Treatment in the Classroom—With Devastating Consequences

“Students often receive feedback that conveys expectations linked to their socioeconomic background.” Read >

DIVERSITY + EQUITY

5 Reasons News Stories About Research Need Source Diversity

“Journalists might not always realize source diversity is equally important in stories about science and research. In some ways, it’s more crucial.” Read >

EMPOWERING LANGUAGE

Students in This Course Learn the Art of the Apology

“A good apology…offers a reset, restoring balance or repairing a rupture. A really good apology might even strengthen the relationship between the offender and the offended.” Read >

AGE

Why Age Bias Has Real World Health Effects

Studies show that “when people constantly hear negative messages about being older, they start to internalize them and begin believing them.” Read >

Why “Openly Gay” Is an Offensive Term

“By accepting being labeled ‘openly,’ we are doing ourselves a disservice, allowing the dangerous lie that being LGBTQ+ is something to be ashamed of to be reinforced.” Visit Gender, Sex + Sexuality >

From the Archives

The False Divide Between “Well Educated” and “Less Educated”

“Some of the richest people in the world are ‘less educated,’ including Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.” Read >

In Case You Missed It

In the November/December 2023 newsletter…

• Parents Are Sharing the Parenting Clichés They Wish Would Disappear, and It’s Hard to Disagree With Them

• Hollywood Is Still Portraying Latinos With the Same Tired Stereotypes

• After Tackling “R-Word,” Disability Group Seeks to Erase Stigma Associated With “Special”

Read >

Stuff to Buy

Other Resources

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