Oppressive Language in Academia

Contributors: (Please feel free to add you name here, we acknowledge that everyone
should be recognized for their work unless they wish to be anonymous)

This is a working document of oppressive language and how we can change to be more
inclusive when we speak and write. Biases can present themselves through language,
often described as microaggressions. These can be conscious or subconscious use of
everyday terminology that has a history of discrimination towards marginalized groups.

This guide is meant to offer alternative language to use instead of language that
reinforces marginalization. In the first section, we link to a list of everyday ableist
language, created by Lydia X. Z. Brown. In the subsequent sections, we present
commonly used field-specific language and alternatives so that we can create a more
inclusive academia. This document will include, but is not limited to, ableist, racist,
sexist, heternormative, classist, body-image related, and ageist language.
*all lists will be written in alphabetical order --- (eventually! haha)

1. General

Please refer to this guide on everyday ableist language:

https://www.autistichoya.com/p/ableist-words-and-terms-to-avoid.html?m=1

Please refer to this guide to everyday gendered language:

https://genderedproject.org/

Cultural appropriation guide ---

Racist language guide:

Terms used in reference letters

Gender bias:
- When describing a woman as “caring”, “compassionate”, “helpful”, “not
emotional” -- emphasizing stereotypes
- Alternatives: successful, accomplished, skilled, knowledgeable, insightful,
confident, independent
- Letters for men are generally 16% longer than letters for women
- Women’s letters are twice as likely to have words of doubt (ie. “challenging
personality” or “can overcome obstacle“)
2. Science

Blind test (single and double) - refers to an experimental method where participants
and/or performers are unaware of a group/category of a sample.
Alternatives: masking; masked test; double-masked test

Conflating sex/gender

Pathologizing:
Assigning fitness to human beings

Talking about mutations as opposed to nucleotide substitutions

Including photos of patients in slideshows with just their eyes covered.

Emphasis on uterus-haver subject’s menstrual cycles/estrogen levels

Mankind; Man - used to refer to Homo sapiens

Alternatives: humankind, humans, Homo sapiens

Noosing - used by herpetologists for catching lizards

Alternatives: lassoing has been suggested

Race - this concept is a social construct that is not biologically relevant, because of genetic
variation
Alternatives: ancestry, decedent from _, _ decent

Other useful readings:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6007773/
http://www.humber.ca/makingaccessiblemedia/modules/01/transript/Inclusive_Language_Guide
_Aug2017.pdf

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/07/amid-protests-against-racism-scientists-move-strip-
offensive-names-journals-prizes-and#

http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2017/science-genetics-reshaping-race-debate-21st-century/

Trix, F & Psenka, C. Exploring the color

of glass: Letters of recommendation for female and
male medical faculty. Discourse & Society, 2003; and
Madera, JM, Hebl, MR, & Martin, RC. Gender and
letters of Recommendation for Academia: Agentic
and Communal Differences. Journal of Applied
Psychology, 2009