A PROGRESSIVE PRESCRIPTION: EPICENE PRONOUNS AND FEMINISM IN THE CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE
File(s)
Date
2013-05Author
Schaefer, Sandra L.
Advisor(s)
Looker, Samantha
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Prior to the standardization movement in grammar, singular they was commonly
used as an epicene pronoun, only to be replaced by the male pronoun he as a generic in
the eighteenth century. While usage rates for generic he would maintain a majority until
the twentieth century, contemporary linguistic research shows that the use of the generic
he has greatly declined and that singular they has become the most popular choice, in
spite of the fact that many professionals continue to deny its appropriateness. This
manuscript will argue that the scholarship of feminist linguists and rhetoricians signals a
movement both in society and language that contributed to this change. Using theories of
content analysis and intertextuality, data from editions of The Chicago Manual of Style,
from 1906 to 2010, were searched for evidence of feminist theories, concepts, and terms
introduced by major feminist scholars. The data demonstrate a marked change in the
Manual's attempts to increase the presence of women in the Manual and to guide authors
and editors in avoiding sexist language. Continued change is necessary as genderneutrality
continues to affect policies in education, gender politics, and domestic law.
Subject
Grammar gender
Prounouns
Printing
Style manuals
Permanent Link
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1793/66219Description
A Thesis Submitted In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Arts - English