#041- what everybody really ought to know about inclusivity and diversity from a language perspective

#041- In this episode Gabi speaks about the really important things to keep in mind when analizing modern cultural trends such as  inclusivity and diversity from a language perspective away from ideology.


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Transcript

Welcome to the Learning Languages in Society with Gabby podcast, where it's all about the fascinating world of languages and culture. Let's rock!  Hi everybody, my name is Gabby and welcome back to your favorite show, Learning Languages in Society with Gabi.  If you're already subscribed to the show, thank you so much.

And if you're hearing this for the first time, make sure you hit the subscribe button.  Today we're going to tackle a pretty cool topic. It is by no means easy to speak about it because it is, as usual with this sort of issues, quite controversial. We're talking about inclusivity and diversity from a language perspective. 

So please don't miss this episode because we're going to analyze together what lies behind inclusive language and in what way it affects society and our understanding of life.  Do you wish to know the secrets behind its invention? Well, stay tuned and you'll find out.  I will teach you how you can dodge a bullet in a very subtle way by not taking part in any conversation revolving around this topic.

Trust me. You will thank me later.  Just to illustrate how people lose their mind over these sort of things. I will tell you a story It's a personal story. So the other day I met up with an old friend of mine to do some catching up and, and then some other friends  joined us later, we were speaking about how important it is for certain jobs to master such and such language.

And then I am not sure how the conversation veered into something along the lines of language censorship and inclusive language. The conversation was going very smoothly, but as we had our second beer, People started really telling each other how they felt about inclusive language policies. My instincts kicked in, and I immediately smelled danger, and basically decided to remain quiet for my own good.

I just basically let the thing unfold organically.  Long story short, 15 minutes later, one of the girls was standing up, yelling at one of the guys, one of my friends, who was sitting down next to me. I was right next to them, but no way I was going to open my mouth. Things started to get really wild, and what happened next is exactly what precipitated this episode, really.

But please bear with me in the meantime, and I will tell you the rest of the story later.  So let's refocus on today's episode, inclusive language, the use of inclusive language impacts society, culture, and communication in varied ways. 

In our linguistic garden, inclusive language blooms as a vibrant flower of unity, or so they say.

It is the Swiss army knife of communication, slicing through bias and carving out space for everyone at the table of discourse. 

This verbal revolution isn't just changing dictionaries, it's rewriting the very DNA of our social interactions.  

Like a linguistic chameleon, it adapts to embrace all hues of humanity, turning he and she into harmonious they symphonies. 

Sure, it might ruffle some traditional feathers, but hey, even birds need to molt to fly higher. So let's toast to this lexical metamorphosis.


It is not just changing how we speak, it's transforming how we think, feel, and connect. After all, in the grand Scrabble game of life, isn't it time we all got triple word scores? 

Inclusive language is a relevant topic today, simply because language is central to communication and connection. 

Well, there you go, some poetry for you guys.  Anyhow, it is certainly a challenge for practical reasons to put into practice, and I'm going to tell you why the topic, inclusive language, it is relevant today.

Simply because, in principle, inclusive language has a role in promoting equality and social justice, which are two very controversial terms themselves in this context.  Now, I will try to briefly explain what the terms equality and social justice mean.  In the landscape of modern society, social equality and justice are the intricate threads that, when woven properly, create a fabric of shared dignity.

They represent not just the absence of  obvious discrimination, but the active promotion of opportunity. A garden where diverse seeds are given equal soil, sunlight, and care to flourish. True equality transcends mere tolerance, blossoming into celebration of our differences. That is, not only do we tolerate people's differences, but we cherish them.

Justice, its lifelong companion, it's the constant recalibration of societal scales. Ensuring that historical imbalances don't tip the future. Together they form the bedrock of a world where one's potential is limited only by imagination, not circumstance. The sky is the limit for everyone, regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, etc.

Well, sounds pretty, sounds like an ideal world. It is like a fantasy, yet this ideal remains a horizon we chase, always visible, never quite reached. Our task is to keep moving forward, knowing that each step towards this elusive destination makes the journey itself more and more fair. That being said, it is not all peaches and cream.

Equality and social justice, while noble aspirations, face fundamental challenges from biological and economically liberal viewpoints.  

Biological perspective. Okay. From this perspective, there is something called generic genetic diversity. So humans have innate differences in abilities, predispositions, and traits.

That is to say we're different from birth. So we are already born unequal in a general sense, right? There's also evolutionary competition. So natural selection favors advantage, advantageous traits, creating inherent inequalities.  There's also hierarchical tendencies. So many species, including humans, naturally form social hierarchies. 

And then from the economically liberal perspective, let's say, there are other set of problems. There's this free market dynamics. So unequal outcomes are inevitable as markets reward different skills and efforts  differently. There's incentive structures. So complete equality might reduce motivation for innovation and productivity.

There's a scarcity of resources. So limited resources lead to competition and unequal distribution. And then there's something called subjective value. So differing individual preferences make uniform justice challenging to define or to implement. So there's a lot of constraints, right? There's a lot of problems to this notion of inclusive language, but what is exactly inclusive language?

Well, inclusive language, according to the Collins Dictionary, is language that avoids the use of certain expressions or words that might be considered to exclude particular groups of people, especially gender specific words, such as man, mankind, and masculine pronouns. The use of which might be considered to exclude women.

For Northwestern University, inclusive language embraces language that is free from stereotypes. Subtle discrimination and negative messages in today's cultural landscape, inclusive language seems to be a real necessity for the world has become extremely globalized. And at least major cities across the Western hemisphere have become linguistically and ethnically diverse.

Many have also become real technological hubs in order to make this transition more smooth for minorities and women inclusive language has introduced.  Artificial linguistic artifacts such as gender neutral terms and inclusive pronouns among many others. For instance, the words policeman and stewardress are gender specific job titles.

The corresponding gender neutral terms are police officer and flight attendant.  And then, of course, there's gender neutral terms. For example, chair, chairperson instead of chairman or chairwoman.  firefighter instead of fireman, uh, humankind instead of mankind or spouse and partner instead of husband and wife. 

Okay. Uh, talking about inclusive pronouns, right? According to the diversity website of Cornell university, some people don't feel like traditional gender pronouns. For example, she, her, he, him fit their gender theories or their gender identities. Sorry. So transgender, genderqueer, and other gender non conforming people may choose different pronouns for themselves.

Asking and correctly using someone's pronouns is one of the most basic ways to show your respect for their gender identity. Or, that's what, you know, uh, inclusive language says. Now the following tips are a starting point. Uh, for using pronouns respectfully, okay? So, I'm gonna give you an example. Instead of using he or she, we should use see and zee,  respectively. 

Uh, instead of using him and her, we should use here, here, or zeer, here and zeer.  And then his, hers, we should use  here's, zeers. And for himself, herself, we should use  herself, herself, and zerself. I don't even know how to pronounce some of these pronouns. I'm sorry, but well, you get what I'm saying.  There are different speculations of why and how certain influential groups create this reality with Marxism as their ideological background.

Well, I don't know if none of it is true or not, but you know, there's people who talk about it and there's even articles and books who speak about, uh, how Marxism kind of like veered into these new.  Ways of controlling the population. Anyway, I'm going to talk, I'm not going to talk about that much. Now the promotion and financing of inclusive language initiatives typically involve a variety of organizations and institutions rather than a specific power groups.

However, I can provide an overview of the types of entities that often, uh, support such efforts. I'm gonna give you a list. There's government agencies. So many countries have equality and human rights commissions that promote inclusive language in official communications and public discourse. We all know that, right?

So, government agencies. Then there's educational institutions. So universities and schools, they often lead in developing and implementing inclusive language policies. So you go to university, you take a course, you start studying and you realize that some of the texts and some of the things you You're right are reading in this new type of language.

There are large corporations, so many multinational companies, they have diversity and inclusion programs, uh, which include language guidelines, right? So if you work in a, in a large company, a multinational, well, you will notice for sure that there are certain things that are written in that way. There's nonprofit organizations, for example, NGOs, uh, which are focused on social justice, equality.

on minority rights and they advocate for inclusive language use, okay? There's media organizations, some, some, some news outlets and publishing houses have adopted inclusive language policies as well. There are professional associations, so groups in fields like psychology, sociology and linguistics, they often develop inclusive language guidelines too. 

There are tech companies, social media platforms and tech giants Sometimes they implement policies around inclusive language in their products and communications.  There are international organizations, so entities like the United Nations or the European Union, they often promote inclusive language in their operations and member states. 

Uh, it is important to know that support for inclusive language isn't monolithic. There's ongoing debate about its effectiveness and implementation across various sectors of society. The actual impact and motivation behind these initiatives can vary widely depending on the specific context and organization involved. 

Inclusive language purports to make a change by altering the natural rhythm of society by challenging norms with the aim to foster respect and equality. Okay. It introduces diverse identities in the cultural landscape and encourages new voices to express themselves. It seeks to build bridges in communication, promoting empathy and sensitivity. 

And all of that is very right, but there is a  however here, uh, however good the intentions of inclusive language, it uses, in my opinion, the wrong tools to accomplish It's noble goals. It alters natural linguistic flows in quite frankly, a necessary, and even dare I say, ridiculous ways. Sometimes, uh, inclusive language reflects a society that is a struggling to balance tradition with the evolving need for representation and fairness in communication.

At least this is what they say. Okay. Now there are instances where inclusive language can be hard to implement, uh, struggling to remember. All the preferred pronouns of different people for various different identities. That is difficult. Feeling unsure about how to address someone you have never met before.

That is also difficult. Feeling pressure to use certain phrases out of obligation rather than genuine connection. Very hard. Concerns about limits on self expression and open dialogue. That's a real concern. Example, fearing repercussions for using language that might be considered offensive. even unintentionally offensive, uh, threat to freedom of speech, so misconceptions about,  or they call these things misconceptions about censorship and, uh, and limitations on expression.

So, uh, but they're not misconceptions about censorship. I think there's some,  I don't know, I think there's some, if, if I really think about it, I think there's some reason to believe that, uh, The censorship is real.  Uh, example, you get worried that using inclusive language means you can't express certain opinions, you know, or you might get fired from your job for voicing your opinion about a certain specific, uh, social trend, a linguistic trend. 

You know, uh, inclusive language sometimes creates unnecessary euphemisms like people of faith instead of referring to Muslims as Muslims or Christians or Christians or Jews as Jews, right?  Now, these factors, they suggest that perfect equality and universally accepted social justice may be unattainable.

Instead, societies often strive for equity, fairness of opportunity, right? Rather than a strict equality of outcomes. The pursuit of these ideals, while perhaps never fully realized, can still drive positive societal changes. and improvements in overall well being. Right. So, sometimes, uh, pushing in that direction may be positive, even if,  even if they do so in a clumsy manner, okay?

In our request for equality and justice, we've often turned to language as a tool for transformation. So, yet in this linguistic labyrinth, we may have lost sight of a simpler truth. Well, words alone cannot breach the chasms of human experience. Not because we're speaking in a certain manner. Everything is going just to change, right?

That's just, I mean, it's, it's sometimes a little too superficial and silly, really. Inclusive language, while well intentioned, I would say, risks becoming a veneer of virtue, like a semantic shield behind which deeper divisions persist. It can create an illusion of progress without addressing the underlying tectonic shifts needed in human interaction. 

Instead, we might turn our gaze to the bedrock of human connection,  which is mutual respect, tolerance, and shared realities. These are not mere words, but lived experiences that transcend language barriers. Mutual respect acknowledges our intrinsic worth beyond labels. Tolerance allows a space for disagreement without disintegration of social fabric.

Shared realities, they forge common ground in a world of divergent perspectives. So these elements, they create a social ecosystem where equality and justice can organically flourish. They do not mandate a specific terms, but cultivate an environment where every voice can be heard regardless of its vocabulary.

In this space, actions speak louder than words, and empathy becomes the universal language. By shifting our focus from linguistic prescriptions to these fundamental human capacities, we may find a more authentic path to the equality and justice we seek. It's not about policing language, but about nurturing the soil in which understanding can grow. 

That's great. Now, there's a notion that I want to talk to you about, and it's the notion of organic evolution of language. It's nature's inclusive design, right? Language, like a living organism, has undergone millennia of natural selection. It's grammatical rules and structures are not arbitrary constructs, but they are finely tuned instruments shaped by the collective need for effective communication.

This linguistic evolution has organically woven inclusivity into its fabric, rendering artificial interventions, largely superfluous.  Now, consider the singular they, a naturally occurring inclusive pronoun with centrist pedigree.  Or ponder the gender neutral person,  effortlessly replacing gender terms like mankind.

These examples illustrate how language intrinsically adapts to societal needs, embracing inclusivity without forced alterations. And that's, that's a key word forced. Alterations, right? Those are the keywords. Moreover, the beauty of established linguistic conventions lies in their universality. They transcend individual perspectives, offering a common ground for diverse speakers.

This inherent exclusivity, inclusivity, fosters clarity and simplicity, allowing ideas to flow without problems across cultural and social boundaries.  Artificial changes, while well intentioned, risk fragmenting this linguistic ecosystem. They may create pockets of specialized vocabulary, potentially hindering the very inclusivity they aim to promote.

So, natural language evolution, in contrast, ensures changes are organically integrated. Maintaining the delicate balance between innovation and comprehension. So in essence, our linguistic heritage is a testament to human ingenuity and adaptability. It's a self regulating system that has consistently risen to meet the challenges of expressing complex ideas on diverse identities. 

Perhaps, instead of reinventing the wheel, we should trust in the time tested wisdom of our linguistic ancestors and the natural inclusive power of language itself.  There's yet another notion that I want to talk about. It's called the paradox of linguistic engineering, when good intentions pave a fractured path. 

In the grand landscape of human communication, inclusive language emerges. as a well meaning thread, yet one that risks unravelling the very fabric it aims to mend. The linguistic revolution, championed by certain influential groups, paints a canvas of reality that, while vibrant, may not truly reflect the landscape it purports to represent. 

At its core, language is a mirror of our shared human experience. It thrives in common ground. flourishing in the fertile soil of mutual understanding. By artificially altering this naturally, natural ecosystem, we risk cultivating a garden of babble, where words lose their universal resonance and become divisive markers of ideological allegiance.

The true bedrock of inclusivity lies not in lexical gymnastics, but in the bedrock of respect and tolerance.  These virtues, when genuinely embraced, they transcend the need for linguistic contortions. They allow us to navigate the rich diversity of human experience with grace and understanding, without resorting to a prescribed vocabulary that may inadvertently create new forms of exclusion. 

Our linguistic heritage, honed over centuries, already provides a robust framework for clear, respectful discourse.  Its rules and conventions, far from being archaic constraints, are time tested tools for bridging divides and fostering mutual comprehension. They offer a common language that unites rather than divides, a shared code that facilitates the free exchange of ideas across diverse communities.

Forced linguistic changes, however, noble in their intent, They can act as wedges in the social fabric. They can create artificial barriers, turning language, our primary tool for connection into a source of division. This linguistic Balkanization impedes the very dialogue it seeks to enhance, replacing organic nuanced communication with a stilted self conscious discourse.

In our quest for a more inclusive world, we must be wary of solutions that may exacerbate the very problems they aim to solve. Instead of rewriting our linguistic DNA, well, perhaps we should focus on cultivating the universal values of empathy, of empathy, respect and open mindedness. For it is in this timeless virtues, not in fleeting linguistic trends, that true inclusivity finds its most powerful expression. 

Anyway, just to close the loop on what happened that one night, I met up with some friends and we spoke about what languages people should learn nowadays in order to get interviews for certain jobs. Uh, and then somehow we ended up speaking about inclusive language. And well, what, what, what precipitated this episode actually,  uh, just to close that loop is the fact that one of the girls suddenly. 

stood up and started yelling, as I was saying at the beginning of the, of this episode, she started yelling at one of my friends who was sitting down next to me. She said, you do not know the purpose of inclusive language because you're not a minority. And that is just wrong.  But no,  we can't allow people to make up alternative divisive realities on account of discriminatory, uh, or presumed discriminatory premises.

We can't do that because  That's crazy. We're separating our realities from each other. We need to share the same reality on the same consensus. It has to be, you know, the common ground for tolerance and respect. What keeps us United, right?  Anyway, guys, thank you so much for putting up with me and for listening.

Please check out my latest blog post on my website and I sincerely hope you subscribe to my podcast and let me know what you guys think of inclusive language. Take care guys. Bye bye.