- The Conscious Language Newsletter by Karen Yin
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- January 2018 Newsletter
January 2018 Newsletter
Drop the Hyphen in Asian American | Conscious Style Guide
When author Viet Thanh Nguyen told his Facebook followers in May about a new essay of his in The New York Times, he noted that he and the paper of record differed on a seemingly minor detail: the punctuation. …
CSG in the News
The Impact of Words Is Felt Beyond eLearning | Learning Solutions Magazine
“Language is an accessibility issue, and it is one that goes far beyond learners with disabilities or limited English or literacy skills.”
Hidden Bias in Language | Tracking Changes
Hidden biases “don’t necessarily align with our declared beliefs…Pay attention to what surprises you. It’s an opportunity for your worldview to expand.” —Karen Yin, founder of Conscious Style Guide
(Thanks to ACES: The Society for Editing for this article (and permission to share it.)
The Media Doesn’t Know How to Talk About Bisexuality | Daily Beast
“Given that the Williams Institute estimates that bisexual people are 1.8 percent of the U.S. population compared to 1.7 percent of American adults who are gay or lesbian, using the term ‘gay and transgender’ when you actually mean LGBT is akin to addressing everyone on the planet as ‘gentlemen’: Both forms of address erase a slight majority of the overall group.”
The U.K. government is advocating for a U.N. treaty to read “pregnant people” instead of “pregnant women” so it does not exclude transgender people who may be pregnant.
How We Describe Sexual Assault: Times Journalists and Lawyers Respond | The New York Times
Times journalists and lawyers offer their insights on terminology used in the Times to describe sexual assault, including “nonconsensual sexual relationship” and “forced oral and vaginal sex” instead of “rape.”
My Daughter Got Her First Catcall, and I Didn’t Know What to Tell Her | The Washington Post
“There is nothing positive about non-subtle sexual admiration that is not invited…the dynamic is devoid of respect.” —Claudia Luiz, author of “The Making of a Psychoanalyst: Studies in Emotional Education”
“One of the longest-running trans porn companies in the world is removing stigmatizing language…from its lexicon.”
Sex, Consent, and the Dangers of “Misplaced Scale” | The New Yorker
Here’s a thought-provoking piece on how downplaying or redefining consent can lead to the “fallacy of misplaced scale” and the loss of agency (especially for women).
When asked about Black Lives Matter and feminism, Alexa’s opinions included that “black people deserve to live and the inequality that women face in society is wrong. And gender? Ooh boy. Alexa has some feelings on gender.”
How White Parents Are Addressing Racism—by Reading to Their Children | The Christian Science Monitor
In St. Louis, “the country’s fifth-most segregated city, We Stories is working to raise ‘big-hearted kids’ who will better understand the diverse backgrounds of their black and brown fellow citizens.”
How to Explain to a Child When You Can’t (or Don’t Want to) Buy Something | The Washington Post
“Talking money values can be hard—no matter your kids’ ages or the size of your bank account. But starting early is ideal.” —Beth Kobliner, financial literacy advocate and author
8 Things a Parent Should Never Say to Their Child | The Huffington Post
“Go to your room,” “you’re asking for it,” and more clichéd phrases that “aren’t actually productive in the ears of children, but are merely emotional reactions to the stress.”
The End of “Freshman” | Inside Higher Ed
Instead of “freshman” and “upperclassman,” Yale publications and communications will use “first-year” and “upper-level students.”
Nomenclature Nuisances: Four-Letter Pet Peeves and Other Veterinary Vocabulary Vexations | Veterinary Practice News
Are some animal- and pet-related words “disparaging, disdainful and otherwise disrespectful to companion animals”?
Trying to Get Rid of Potential Talent? Use a Crap Ton of Stupid Jargon | The American Genius
“A study by Business in the Community found that a large number of young job applicants feel intimated to apply for jobs when the job description contains unfamiliar technical terms, acronyms, and abbreviations.”
Three Social Media Habits for a Better World | CMOS Shop Talk
Before sharing online, “ask yourself ‘How does this help?’ Does the language invite everyone into the dialogue, or does it blame and vilify those with opposing views?”
Let’s Change How We Use “Reform” | Copyediting
“Reform” is “a word of spin, expected from the politicians advocating this legislation. They’re entitled to their word choices. But neutral observers should be wary of it.”
The Conscious Style Guide newsletter rounds up the best news and blog posts from the world of kind, compassionate, mindful, empowering, respectful, and inclusive language. Note: Spotlighting an opinion is not intended as an endorsement. Please send news tips to [email protected].
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