A PROGRESSIVE PRESCRIPTION: EPICENE PRONOUNS AND FEMINISM IN THE CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE

Grammar gender;Prounouns;Printing;Style manuals

Schaefer, Sandra L.Looker, Samantha ;

University of Wisconsin

关键词: Grammar gender;    Prounouns;    Printing;    Style manuals;   

Others  :  https://minds.wisconsin.edu/bitstream/handle/1793/66219/Schaefer.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y

瑞士|英语

来源: University of Wisconsin

【 摘 要 】

Prior to the standardization movement in grammar, singular they was commonlyused as an epicene pronoun, only to be replaced by the male pronoun he as a generic inthe eighteenth century. While usage rates for generic he would maintain a majority untilthe twentieth century, contemporary linguistic research shows that the use of the generiche has greatly declined and that singular they has become the most popular choice, inspite of the fact that many professionals continue to deny its appropriateness. Thismanuscript will argue that the scholarship of feminist linguists and rhetoricians signals amovement both in society and language that contributed to this change. Using theories ofcontent analysis and intertextuality, data from editions of The Chicago Manual of Style,from 1906 to 2010, were searched for evidence of feminist theories, concepts, and termsintroduced by major feminist scholars. The data demonstrate a marked change in theManual;;s attempts to increase the presence of women in the Manual and to guide authorsand editors in avoiding sexist language. Continued change is necessary as genderneutralitycontinues to affect policies in education, gender politics, and domestic law.