Recommendations for equitable and inclusive language use

The following recommendations have been prepared based on the working document prepared by Ana Costa, which can be consulted at this link.

Use of the generic masculine

Its abuse should be avoided and its use should be reconsidered in all contexts in which a discriminatory use of language can be detected. Some cases have been specially pointed out in which the use of the generic masculine can be ambiguous and in which some of the solutions presented should be chosen so that it is sufficiently clear that it includes both sexes.

Splits

This resource can be valid in certain parts of the speech (headings, farewells, direct appeals), but the reiteration of these duplicities (not only the noun, but also the other elements with which it is coordinated can be split), could hinder the speech, and could become tedious and reiterative. In the event that this is the option chosen, the order of the unfoldings can be alternated. It is not advisable to accumulate duplicities as a single or systematic procedure in our texts.

Contexts of use

The economy of language and precision must take precedence due to space limitations; therefore, in order to achieve an inclusive use of language, a series of resources restricted to the written environment, such as the slash, hyphens or parentheses, are also particularly useful. It should be remembered in this regard that the @ is not a spelling but a symbol that, in addition to not being systematized in written language, has no correspondence in spoken language. Its use is limited to informal contexts.

Concordance

This is a syntactic issue. The following is a summary of some issues related to the problems that concordance can generate in the inclusive use of language:

(a) Grammatical correctness must take precedence. In the duplication of nouns, it should be remembered that in the case of being accompanied by adjectives, the masculine should be used. The use of invariable qualifying adjectives can help us to avoid duplications (Los inteligentes Juan and Adriana), although it is not always possible to find an identification of meanings between the replaced adjective and the invariable adjective that replaces them (Listo/a and inteligente may not be interchangeable in all contexts). Another option to avoid duplicate use of the adjective is the substitution of the adjective with a relative clause or the anteposition of the adjective to the unfolded nouns.

The revision of exams for the failed students / the students who have failed / the students who have failed for The revision of exams for those who have failed

b) In the case of comparatives and superlatives, one can opt either for the use of invariable adjectives or for the use of a collective noun in order to avoid unfairness in ambiguous contexts.

c) As an alternative to the duplication of nouns and adjectives to guarantee concordance, the articles can be split, using alternatively: los alumnos y las alumnas/ las alumnas y los alumnos. You can also choose to eliminate one of them. Las alumnas y alumnos.

d) Pronouns with gender marking present the same concordance rules as the rest of the elements of the nominal syntagm, establishing concordance based on the noun they replace. Invariable pronouns (who, whoever) are very useful for the purpose at hand. The pronoun can also attain a generic value if it replaces a collective or abstract noun. In the case of quantifiers, it should be emphasized that alternative solutions should always be sought if their use is ambiguous and can be interpreted in a non-inclusive way in certain contexts.

e) The use of the article + relative can be replaced by other relative pronouns without gender marking (whoever, anyone). He who so chooses may introduce himself as a representative of the class by He who so chooses may introduce himself as a representative of the class.

Academic titles must conform to current regulations.

We must remember that although there are certain hesitations (tradition, homonymy, resistance to change), the tendency of our language is to feminize the names of titles, professions and positions. The names of military positions, which are considered common nouns in terms of gender, represent an exception. We must pay special attention to concordance in the case of positions, trades and professions in order to avoid failed constructions such as "La médico" (the doctor). In the case that we find ourselves before the name of professions in feminine that harbor other meanings (homonymy, metonymy), the context will always resolve such ambiguity. The use of collective nouns and abstract nouns can be an effective way of substituting the generic masculine in this specific field, but this should be done as long as it is not forced or unnatural and no significant nuances are lost in the substitution.

To avoid a sexist use of language, it is necessary to learn to recognize it.

In this process, it can be very useful to apply the so-called inversion rule, which consists of changing the term referring to the male in a sentence for the term referring to the female (or vice versa). If the result fundamentally modifies the content or intention, or if it is striking because it is anomalous, our statement can be interpreted as sexist. This rule is closely related to stereotypes and social changes associated with the roles assumed by men and women.

She is very prudent and feminine / he is very prudent and masculine*.

In all of these cases, the written language accompanying the images will follow the same guidelines and recommendations

that we have been presenting since the beginning of this manual, pursuing the purpose of building equitable and inclusive discourses. Linguistic efforts will be useless if they are not accompanied by images that match the content of the text. In the treatment of publications, there should be a reasoned balance in the presence of male and female figures (in the captions, the person appearing under the same criterion, for example, from left to right, should be cited).

Maintain an inclusive language in any text used on the Internet and social networks.

And especially in those that are inserted in contexts that may be ambiguous or discriminatory at the level that concerns us. In virtual and instant communication, it is especially far from a monotonous and repetitive discourse, but this would not be an obstacle to the use of inclusive language. The use of splitting or periphrastic uses are not the only alternative for the substitution of the masculine with generic value. A brief message cannot be identified with a careless message. A smaller number of characters means greater precision and this is not an obstacle to the use of equitable language.

Consistency

The proposed solutions cannot and should not be applied systematically or in isolation. Modifying our discursive habits linked to social conventions is not always easy, but as can be seen from the intention of these lines, there are many ways to achieve our goal, and only the context will help us to choose one or the other, or to discard the one that generates an undesired, incoherent or unnatural result. Coherence in discourse is not achieved only with the automatic application of inclusive formulas; there must be a certain balance, so we must consider all the guidelines as a whole and choose the most suitable one in each case. To this end, we must take into account variables such as the length of the message, the recipients of the message, the relevance of the information, the register (oral and written), the part of the discourse where possible referential ambiguities may arise, or the characteristics of the type of discourse we intend to construct.

It is therefore a matter of taking steps in line with the social reality of the moment.

A reality that seeks a fairer and more inclusive society in which the achievement of equity and equality of the sexes at all levels must be a priority. This effort is based on a deep reflection about language and its relationship with the egalitarian world we want to build and that the University, from all its areas, strives to promote. It is not only a matter of adding certain words or avoiding others, it is a matter of making clear an inclusive will for both sexes and of using the potential and creativity of our language.