Friday, March 30, 2012

Pronoun Fail

In my seemingly never-ending quest to find the best, most user-friendly, flexible, non-annoying, and free collaborative workspace in which to share ideas and data with a particular large research team, I recently set up some trial workspaces using various platforms. I didn't want to send out invitations to the entire group until I decided which, if any, we would be using, so I only added one guinea-pig colleague, just to test things out.

He was surprised when one of these sites sent him an automated e-mail with a link for joining and with some text that said (in slightly modified form):

FSP has created his own project so that he can communicate with his colleagues and friends.

I looked in the profile options to see if I could select a gender, but this is not an option. Apparently we are all, by default, men.

Yes, I wrote to the company.

18 comments:

Comrade Physioprof said...

Why do you care about a stupid pronoun, when there are important issues in the world to care about!?!?!?!? It's just an automated system, and you see sexism everywhere, even when it doesn't exist.

(Just wanted to be first.)

Female Science Professor said...

It's a relief to get that out of the way early. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

As a male professor (and avid FSP reader and sometime commenter) I don't see the death by 1000 cuts that you must see as women every day. But, I'm aware of it, so, I do what I can to be gender inclusive in my research, teaching, pronoun choices, etc. I taught a course on scientific writing and we decided that "their" is an appropriate singular gender neutral pronoun. Sure, it isn't grammatically correct, but I've seen a lot of writing text books just throw up their hands at the grammar in order to make the bigger point that a gender neutral singular pronoun is necessary.

Anonymous said...

I've seen some articles that use solely female pronouns when talking about high-tech entrepreneurship. As a female engineer myself, I am happy that people recognize smart females can lead companies too, but to be honest, the articles look like they're trying too hard. I mean, the thing was written by a male...who works in a male dominated firm...and everyone kind of knows the guy doesn't see that many female entrepreneurs on a daily basis...

So I give the authors of the articles props for being aware of the issue, but it's quite a blatant, politically correct, trying too hard thing.

I personally don't mind the pronouns that much. If someone treats me with respect, I can forgive something as small as pronouns. Actions speak louder than political correctness.

Anonymous said...

"crazy-making things" is an appropriate tag for this incident. How irritating. What decade is it again?
Thank you very much for writing the letter to the company.

mjphd said...

Annoying. Reminds me of the time (only about eight years ago) that on a form the title options were "Dr. & Mrs." but no "Mr. & Dr." or "Dr. and Dr."

Patchi said...

This could have easily been avoided if the message was:

FSP has created a project to communicate with colleagues and friends.

No pronouns required.

Anonymous said...

I thought "their" was officially accepted as grammatically correct for a singular pronoun. It is perfect...(short of making a new word)

"I love it when a student reads their textbook."

another anonymous person said...

Thank you to CPP & FSP for making me laugh with that first exchange!

(Ahh, good timing. Another "Dear sir" email in my inbox. Dear applicant, your request to join my research team just dropped several priority points.)

Isabella said...

I think it's just laziness of the programmer/editor of the software, and possibly a result of brogramming.

And I hate the use of "their", I very much prefer correct grammar.

My version:
FSP has created this project to enable and foster communication with you, one of her colleagues and friends.

Sofia said...

Of course actions speak loudest -- but I still like to see the gratuitous female pronouns! Shouldn't we get something for being a majority of the world's population?

Anonymous said...

I can't believe noone so far minds that... It's ridicuouls. She should have been able to choose a gender, it's an easy thing to implement.

Anonymous said...

It's a fail at two levels. First, not everyone is a man and second, is this service really limited only to individuals?

Anonymous said...

Current debate in Sweden regarding a gender neutral pronoun
http://www.transparent.com/swedish/hen-the-swedish-gender-neutral-pronoun/
http://www.thelocal.se/38992/20120208/

a linguist said...

Singular 'they' *is* grammatically correct -- many English speakers find it a perfectly natural thing to say, and use it without thinking twice about it.

Anonymous said...

Backing up what "a linguist" said. The use of singular "they" in English is completely non-controversial in the field of linguistics. Look it up in the Cambridge Grammar of the English Language.

Those saying they prefer "correct grammar" really mean that they prefer conventional norms for formal writing. That's a valid opinion to hold, but please don't confuse it with grammar.

Anonymous said...

Why have a gender assignment at all? Some people do not fit into the binary gender options. So.... why have any kind of gender label at all? Is it even relevant? At the very least, make answering that question OPTIONAL and provide nonbinary options.

I used to object to "they" and "their"... but I've since done some reading and uncovered the fact that it is indeed grammatically correct to say - I love it when a student reads their textbook. But, at the end of the day, I simply avoid pronouns whenever possible. I love it when students read the textbook! or... a student reads the textbook.

And my favorite research position enquiry is....
Dear Sir - I have read your website with great interest.... blah blah blah....
Uhm - My photo is on my website, and I appear to be a cis-gendered woman. So.... yeah - that applicant drops substantially on my priority list.

Anonymous said...

slightly OT but:
I am at a small invitation-only workshop in Country Outside the US. 50 attendees; about 10-15 students and postdoc, 3 of whom women. 26 speakers, 3 under 50, 1 woman (me, the closest to 40 in the group, the only US participant). the woman is filling in for 70-yrs old colleague who had an other engagement.
Guess the country.