Let's Put an End to Political Correctness and Stereotyping

Let's Put an End to Political Correctness and Stereotyping

Consider this. What if we lived in a society in which there was no sex differences? There's no males, and no females. There's no physical separation between one human and the next. Would we still separate ourselves by some other characteristics? If so, is it human nature that if we examine two identical things, we consider one better than the other? Can we say that any two things have the potential to be equal at all? Ask the previous questions in the context of "voices" in literature. Even with an authorless piece of writing, we tend to place a gender on its style, tone, or "voice." We say that we are "characterizing" the writing in an attempt to understand the author's meaning, or to examine why the author wrote in the "voice" s/he chose.

O.K., what's wrong with that?

Just this: if characterizing meant that we based the style of the writing on its contents, I don't think that there would be anything wrong. The problem is that we base the style of the writing on culturally-induced stereotypes. In other words, labeling writing as "feminine" or "masculine" causes us to use connotations and biases. In most cases, this causes us to make more generalizations concerning what men and womin "typically write like."

Stay with me, I need you.

By saying that anyone's writing has a specific, categorized "voice," their writing is immediately compared to the "norm" of that particular "voice." Therefore, placing a label on the author's work, causes the reader to automatically develop a bias toward that piece of writing.

Wait a sec! I don't do that! I don't make biases when I read. Yes, I characterize. It helps me find the meaning of the piece. If I think the writer is using a feminine voice I'll interpret the piece differently because I'll be thinking in my head "what would a womon be thinking at this point?"

Think about this. What if I, as an author, don't want my sex to influence the interpretation of my writing. In fact, at this very moment, I don't want the fact that I'm female to have anything to do with this work. I don't want to have my writing analyzed in comparison with "normal" or "typical" womin stuff. I don't want to be limited to being a typically feminine writer. I don't want to be a female writing like a typical male either.