Gender neutrality and language

[Lynn Goldstein]

I sympathize with wanting some practical answers for your students.  I
wouldn't however describe the posts as having  "degenerated" into a
religious discussion. I find what is being discussed highly pertinent and 
relevant. Folk views of language,  in this case religious ones as related
to language,  are extraordinarily important for us to explore and
understand . It's the folk views, more than our views  as linguists, that
often hold more sway   in language policy  decisions, including language
and educational policy decisions,  and hold more sway in everyday people's
beliefs about language, policy, and education.     Besides folk views on
language and religion,  which may have negative or positive effects
depending on the case,      consider the negative consequences of folk
views in terms of the Ebonics Resolution or the Unz initiatives.   Leaving
folk views and what roles they play in language policy unexplored ,
including folk   views  on religion and language,   is dangerous. 

Lynn Goldstein

  lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu writes:
>It's interesting that this post has degenerated into a religious
>discussion when something extremely pertinent is at hand.  How are we to
>express the gender-neutral pronoun?  I tell my classes that it will be up
>to them to figure this one out, but I would like to be a of a little more
>help to them than that.  Is it true that "they" was once legitimately the
>gender-neutral third-person singular pronoun?  How else, other than
>rewriting sentences, can this issue be resolved.  One posting recently
>mentioned "yo" as a gender-neutral pronoun, but I don't see that catching
>on.  Any other inventions lately?
>
>Ann
>
>On Mon, Mar 3, 2008 at 9:02 PM, Christina Paulston <[
>mailto:paulston+ at pitt.edu ]paulston+ at pitt.edu> wrote:
>
>
>Yes, H L MecKen - thank you for the correction.  I have myself
>misattributed the quotation to an Arkansas principal, I think it was,
>so I feel honour bound to assign it properly. CBP
>On Mar 3, 2008, at 8:51 PM, Ronald Kephart wrote:
>
>> H. L. Mencken? Ron
>>
>>
>> On 3/3/08 8:48 PM, "Christina Paulston" <[ mailto:paulston+ at pitt.edu
>]paulston+ at pitt.edu> wrote:
>>
>>> Just for the record  "if it was good enough for Jesus etc" is a quote
>>> from Menchen.  (Did I misspell his name - my spelling checker thinks
>>> so ?)
>>
>
>
>