Doing without the Generic He/Man in Technical Communication

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Jan 1986

Doing without the Generic He/Man in Technical Communication

Barbara Christian Peninsula College

Abstract

Recent psycholinguistic research has challenged the view that English speakers interpret the male pronouns and the generic man as words that refer to both males and females. The suggested ambiguity of these terms is of concern to technical communicators because it can affect the accuracy of their messages. Since guidelines for avoiding sex ambiguity in language are not generally available in technical writing or speech manuals, this article offers simple devices for eliminating the generic use of male pronouns and man. It also provides alternate terms for common sex-biased expressions.

Journal: Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published: 1986-01-01
DOI: 10.2190/q9u1-7j44-lf6h-0plm
Open Access: Closed
Topics: technical communication affect and writing

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (2)

ALLEN (1991)

Gender Issues in Technical Communication Studies

Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Christian (1987)

Using the Entire Manual: A Proposal for the Integrated Presentation of Technica…

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

Cites in this index (0)

No references match articles in this index.

CrossRef global citation count: 3 View in citation network →