Sexist language
Sir,—With regards to Vernon Wilkinson’s letter of September 16, there are a few points I would like .to make. The police’s use of both metric and imperial measurements is, surely, to make identification easier for those of the older generation not raised with the metric system. It is not comparable to the use of traditional language which some of us (not all women) find offensive. The area of semantics involving the concepts of meaning, prototype and stereotype are complex. Suffice it to say that in common usage, despite our knowledge of a wide range of meaning in a word, the prototypes and stereotypes dominate our understanding. These proto/stereotypes, when used in regard to individuals, are limiting to people’s perceptions of themselves and their roles in society. The use of “person” is not Long live the “fad.”—Yours, etc., (Ms) J. M. SMITH. September 16,1987.
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Press, 22 September 1987, Page 12
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145Sexist language Press, 22 September 1987, Page 12
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