Maybe I'll make it a habit to have ridiculously long and slightly confusing titles for my blog posts, a la Panic! At The Disco when they were still together and amazing (what's even going on with them now? I should google-research that after I finish this...)
So first off, as the title suggests, I'd like to welcome you to my blog! My plan is to write often, maybe even every weekday (maybe also weekends? /gasp) about social aspects of life. This will potentially cover many topics, from relationships (romantic, platonic, confusion therein, and familial), to insights on basic lady-thinking, to random ideas I think of... randomly. Such as today's. I welcome any thoughts, comments, questions, whatever that you may have. Posting them on here or sending me an email is fine.
Today's topic is gender-specific words with relation to sexism and feminism, and I'll be opening this up to reader opinions because I would like to hear what others think on the idea.
Recently I have found out that the word "fellow" is used as a title - something academic (probably an honorary thing, but I don't know exactly), and an HP promotion level (fellow and senior fellow, how prestigious).
My question is what would be more acceptable to a feminist - dropping the title fellow because the word has a masculine connotation, or welcoming the idea that by giving women the title of fellow, it will slowly de-sexify the word?
Personally I can understand both views. Fellow is such a masculine word - as far as I know, in common conversation, "fellow" is not a word normally used to describe or refer to a woman. Not that "fellow" is a word normally used in common conversation, period. Because of this, as a female, I'm not sure I would want to be referred to as a "fellow" - a word whose first definition is "man or boy" (also, beau/suitor, a person of small worth or no esteem... ouch) - and as we are a modern society, it shouldn't be that difficult to come up with a gender-neutral title. Especially since, in this case, "fellow" is already an out-of-date word.
On the other hand, potentially the word "fellow" has been around for many, many years (I didn't research, so I can't back this up), and it has a historical aspect that certain places wish to preserve. Also, I could understand if a woman advocating for gender equality insisted on the same title as males in her business or position received, rather than coming up with a female version or changing it so that women would accept it. If we change the word then "fellow" remains masculine, rather than gradually making the word itself gender-equal.
So I wish to ask you, the reader, what you would think is more acceptable from a gender-equal standpoint. Changing the title to be gender-neutral opposed to at this point obviously masculine, or leaving the title and allowing the thought about the word to gradually change over time to be non-gender-specific?
Thanks for reading :D
Firstly, I find the concept of approaching this from a "feminist" viewpoint ironically sexist because it doesn't actually matter in an era where women, on the whole, have access to all the same options and shit as men (exceptions applying in other countries and individual businesses that still screw with the payrates and such). At this point it's basically quibbling over semantics to see who can feel the most progressive without also remembering the hypocrisy required to do so.
ReplyDeleteHAVING SAID THAT, the "masculine" collective nouns - guys, fellows, chaps, twatwaffles - are used a lot by both genders equally in my experience, and I really doubt that suddenly having a new option in the name of linguistic gender equality is going to catch on, if for no other reason than habit - which, of course, is how words get to be accepted into the vernacular in the first place.
Very few words are rejected from the popular vocabulary unless those words are specifically unpleasant for specific reasons - the N bomb, etc., and I don't think a retroactive and rudimentary grasp on sexist language is going to qualify as such for the most of us of either gender. Thus my answer to your question at the end, that only time will tell what is ultimately acceptable, and that trying to force any such change would be hamfisted and hypocritical.
I think I wanted to get people's opinions mostly because I am not strongly feminist. Sure I want equal rights, but little things like this make me raise an amused eyebrow more than have an emotional response. And honestly, in my opinion being a feminist is being sexist in a way, but instead of putting the other gender down, you're raising your own up. Well, my own, not your own. Anyway, I understand where you're coming from. I don't think it's a big enough deal to change it, but, at the same time, because it is such a small issue (in respect to using "fellow" as a title), then it shouldn't be that difficult to change it, either.
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