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A bias is a strong preconceived inclination about someone or something. As a writer working with an essay writing service or even just a student writing an academic essay, there are certain topics that you have a bias towards – whether you know it or not. These biases are highly likely to waft into your written work if you still hold on to some old-fashioned views on things like genders and gender roles. So, this article is aimed at helping you write without including any prejudice against women and men in your work.
But, before jumping into that, let us mention a couple of examples of how gender biases can appear in your writing without you noticing:
- Your own bias may reflect in your writing due to societal conditioning. For example, you may say, “Think about your favorite teacher, what do you think her life is like?” Now, unless the teacher had already been established to be a woman, as harmless as you think the statement was, you have unintentionally implied prejudice against men by thinking they can’t be teachers.
- You assume that something is okay to say just because it is popular where you’re from. It can be hard to tell what is right or wrong in professional communication, especially when it is a popular thing.
- You don’t make enough research to know what kind of speech is appropriate.
Gender Bias in Essays and How To Avoid It
When writing, it is important to keep from falling into the chasm of gender bias. However, to do this, a writer has to know the gender bias definition. So, what is gender bias? Gender bias is said to occur when one has a preconceived notion against a particular gender. The question of whether this notion is right or wrong, offensive or not remains on the backstage. For example, saying that women are better poised for jobs that involve nurturing or saying that all men are abusers is evidence of biased thinking.
Traces of bias to certain genders in any writer’s repertoire can seriously hamper their chances of passing their intended message across. Gender bias in writing can also point to a lack of professionalism in a writer. Now that it’s been established how gender bias can affect writing and writers, let’s look at how to avoid it while writing on gender roles.
1. Keep an eye out for gender-related stereotypes
Do not use a single experience to judge every other person in a given gender group. For example, if you want to write about a woman named Jane Doe, ensure that you don’t rope other women into a situation you’re writing about based on Jane’s characteristics.
It may seem like the ‘natural’ progression to talk about Jane’s position as a secretary in a firm and assume that most other secretaries are women just because Jane is also one. However, unless you have concrete statistics to back up such stereotypes, it’s best to leave them out completely.
2. Be conscious while using personal pronouns
You have to be extra cautious of the personal pronouns you use. It used to be acceptable for writers to use “he/ him” or “her/ she” when they did not know the gender of whoever it is they are referring to in their written work. This is usually done on assumptions by the writer about the character based on what they do. However, this notion has since been amended to ‘they’ to accommodate members of all genders.
3. Remove personal pronouns completely when unsure
When unsure, just remove the pronoun entirely and replace it with an article. Don’t write, “Ask the thrift shopper to drop her receipt.” Instead, write “Ask the thrift shopper to drop the receipt.”
You can also restructure your sentence in a way that emphasis isn’t placed on the subject’s gender. Instead of writing “Ask the teacher if she is ready to give the lecture”, write “Ask whether the teacher is ready to give the lecture.”
4. Let your writing reflect that any gender can take on any role in a social setting
When writing about humans in any social setting, avoid falling into the trap of assigning ‘traditional gender roles’ to characters. An example of this is seen when writers make women out to be the designated cooks in a heterosexual relationship in stories they write about.
5. Use Gender-Neutral Terms
Use terms that aren’t gender-heavy in your writing. This will help you avoid passing the wrong message across even if you never intended to. Certain ‘harmless’ terms can easily be misconstrued by readers as assigning roles to one gender or the other.
The following are examples of such terms and their great alternatives:
Instead of using “mankind”, use “humankind; people; humanity.”
Instead of “manpower”, use “workforce; employees.”
Instead of “mothering”, use “caring; nurturing.”
Instead of “policeman”, use “police officer.”
Instead of “postman”, use “postal worker; postal carrier.”
6. Research
If you want to avoid biases in your writing, extensively research your audience. This will help you know what they expect from your essay, and you can therefore tailor your statements accordingly. Also, stay updated on what kinds of statements are socially acceptable today as it helps you build a healthy respect for all genders.
Final Words
As a writer, you must avoid expressing gender bias in your work and personal life. Understanding the fluidity of gender roles will shape your thinking and refine your communication skills when writing content ranging from marketing materials to essays. The fight against prejudices against men and women is real and as a writer, you’re in pole position to make an impact with your words. Taking the necessary precautions highlighted in this article is a great step to avoid reflecting bias in your written representation of gender roles.
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This content is brought to you by Amanda Dudley.
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The post 6 Ways To Avoid Bias While Writing an Essay On Gender Roles appeared first on The Good Men Project.