Profs decry ‘linguistic policing’ in England
LONDON• Students at Hull University in Kingston upon Hull, England, are being told to use gender- neutral language in their essays — or risk losing marks.
According to documents obtained by the Sunday Times, students are being told to “be aware of the powerful and symbolic nature of language and use gender- sensitive formulations. Failure to use gendersensitive language will impact your mark.”
The document, which was released following a Freedom of Information request, was part of a course on religious activism being taught at the university.
A senior lecturer in religion at the university said: “Should any student use language which is not deemed gender- neutral, they will be offered feedback as to why. Deduction of marks is taken on a case-by-case basis.”
Academics criticized the move, calling it “linguistic policing.”
Frank Furedi, emeritus professor of sociology at Kent University, told the Sunday Times: “Usually such threats are implicit rather than spelt out, as in the case of Hull.
“This linguistic policing is used as a coercive tool to impose a conformist outlook. The alternative is to pay a penalty of being marked down.”
It has become increasingly common for universities to advise their students to use gender-neutral language, but this is the first time a university in Britain has said not doing so will affect a student’s mark.
Many universities advise students not to use “he” or “him” as a default pronoun, suggesting instead using “he or she” or “they.”
Cardiff Metropolitan University in Wales offers a “Guide to Inclusive Language” that provides genderneutral alternatives for 34 words or phrases.
The six- page document says that the terms “forefathers,” “best man for the job” and “man-hour” should be avoided in order to “promote an atmosphere in which all students feel valued.”
The university said in a statement that the document “makes no demands, bans nothing and carries no sanctions.”
Cardiff has been accused of undermining free speech and “insulting” students and academics by attempting to dictate their choice of words.
Dr. Joanna Williams, a lecturer in higher education the University of Kent and author of Academic Freedom in an Age of Conformity, said that advising that certain words are banned is “unnecessary.”
“It is a very authoritarian attempt to control the way people think and the language people use,” she said.
“The idea that in a university people need to be dictated to in this way is really insulting to students and academics; we should be able to cope with words. These words have evolved over a long period of time and they don’t have sexist associations.”