Sexism and Racism

/in /by

The purpose of this activity is to increase awareness of ways in
which language reflects cultural assumptions. You will be responsible
for identifying how each statement may reflect sexist or racist language
tendencies. You and your classmates will also be responsible for
offering alternative wording to reduce potential perceived racist or
sexist connotations. Remember—discussing race, gender, and similar
issues can be challenging—if there is inflammatory, disrespectful or
otherwise inappropriate language within your post I will block it, and
we will have a conference to determine further consequences if necessary.
It is quite likely that some of the statements will be bothersome to
you (as they are to me), and that others will not. As communication
students and scholars we are challenged to think critically about the
world and words around us. In short, this assignment is a practice in
how can we use human communication to authentically and ethically engage
in diversity affirming communication encounters.

Action Item

  1. Read the following ten statements.
    • I now pronounce you man and wife.
    • You can tell that they are the good guys because they wear white hats.
    • “And now for breaking news, let’s go to our man on the street interview.”
    • Let’s see if we can’t make something good happen by using a little black magic.
    • I can’t believe Sarah kept her last name when she married.
    • John stayed home to babysit his son while his wife ran a few errands.
    • My friend Ranjet is from India, but he acts like a regular guy.
    • I know a male nurse and a woman pilot.
    • Asian people are really short. Most of the women are about 5 feet, and the men aren’t much taller.
    • Blacks are really confrontational.
  2. Conduct
    an analysis on how the language used could be perceived to be sexist
    (suggesting one sex is better or the standard) or racist (suggesting one
    race is BEST or standard). Your analysis shall include:

    • A brief explanation (1-2 sentences) of how each sentence (1-10) could be perceived as sexist or racist.
    • Alternative wording to reduce or avoid the possible sexist/racist connotations.