No matter what industry you’re in, evolving language has taken center stage within many diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Conversations about conscious, anti-biased, inclusive language have moved to the forefront of many company strategies and policies.
According to Angela Shante Johnson, author and advocate for diversity and inclusion and CEO of Angela Johnson & Co, “I like to hope that we are changing for the better—becoming more aware, more conscious, more human. With this comes a need to change how we’ve done things in the past. That means taking a look at traditional, broken, and/or outdated systems and/or ways of thinking/operating. Publishing (and language for that part) is not exempt from this.”
Taking the Next Steps
When it comes to addressing and incorporating inclusive language in company policies, initiatives, and products, Johnson advises that publishers start with taking stock of their current inclusivity within their processes.
“How inclusive are you currently?” Johnson asks. “What are you doing to utilize inclusive language now? How important/necessary is utilizing inclusive language to you/your business/brand/mission? Once this is done, you will have a better idea of your next steps.”
In 2021 at the American Academy of Pediatrics, the board of directors approved a new policy, “Words Matter: AAP Guidance on Inclusive, Anti-biased Language,” which states: “The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages the use of inclusive, anti-biased language in all of its publications and communications in order to mitigate and combat bias, avoid stereotypes, remove stigma, and promote justice and strengths. The use of inclusive, anti-biased language is consistent with the AAP Diversity and Inclusion statement and supports the Academy’s Equity Agenda by reflecting diverse lived experiences and acknowledging the oppressive systems, structures, and policies that create those experiences.”
According to a recent professional development session for staff at the Academy, this policy, while effective, is not prescriptive, exhaustive, or a strict editorial guideline. It does not encapsulate every situation or nuance of language, which is constantly evolving. Instead, it is a prompt to guide staff, members, and leaders in choosing inclusive language in myriad contexts.
Editors in the publishing program at the Academy are diligent in their efforts to ensure that language not only reflects current AAP policy but is inclusive of all readers. Publishing staff use a frequently updated, working document that details updates to concepts such as terminology, references to conditions and illnesses, and gender identity. In most cases, editors are encouraged to use people-first language such as “people with obesity” as opposed to “obese people” in order to avoid identifying people based on their condition. However, staff are also cognizant that some communities may prefer the label that corresponds to their condition. Communities such as the autism community and disabled community often prefer “autistic person” or “disabled person” instead of first-person language, as they often feel a sense of pride being part of their community and feel that first-person language can indicate an ableist mentality.
Neva Talladen, editor, writer, and community organizer for Otherwordy Editing, believes it’s more appropriate to use the phrase “conscious language” instead of “inclusive.”
“The term conscious language fits better because it’s about how we are supposed to use the English language,” Talladen says. “It’s a reminder that if we consider ourselves beings of a higher consciousness and intelligence, then that is how we must continue using and developing language.”
However, Talladen says, a style guide for company employees is not the first step.
“In short, a conscious style guide disseminated among its editors and authors or subcontracting to [black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC)] sensitivity readers won’t make a difference and won’t ‘protect’ publishers from the issues we’re seeing now,” Talladen says. “The first step would be for publishers to first agree that optics-only actions are not going to cut it. Then work toward the big changes by committing to a timeline of when and how the needed changes and transition need to happen.”
Laura Matthews, book editor for thinkStory.biz, says publishers should make seeking out a variety of voices as their main focus.
“A good exercise would be to look at your stable of authors and see how it compares to population statistics for your country or region. For example, in the United States, if your list is 70% men and 30% women, you might want to work to make that 50% each. If your list is 90% white, you might want to change that to more like 60%. Consider this for all identities, and you may find your list opening up to include more and more voices,” Matthews says.
Being Authentic and Intentional
Recently, communications and publishing staff at AAP have taken a critical eye to the use of gender pronouns. Where writers previously alternated between “he” and “she,” they now opt to use “they/them” when gender is not necessary to understand context, unless the text refers to anatomy. Other updates include using “parent” or “caregiver” instead of “mother/father” to acknowledge that families are made up of many different structures. Decisions are often made based in relation to the context of a book, but editors also are cognizant that specific titles such as “mother” and “father” continue to be defined roles that are meaningful to the many people who identify as either and who may have worked hard to been recognized as such.
In recent conversations, the challenge to addressing and making these updates to publications raised significant questions. How and when do we make these changes? Do we acknowledge them in the front of the book, in a note or foreword? In a preface or introduction by the author? Should these changes be global or sporadic?
It is evident that vocabulary is continually evolving and agreement about specific terms is not often universal. At the AAP, decisions regarding terminology, especially DEI-related terms, are typically made on a publication-by-publication basis. Conversations around what changes should be made occur often at the beginning of each project alongside the authors and editors. And although the publishing team views the content with a DEI lens, the Academy still has a dedication and commitment to ensuring that its content is medically and technically accurate.
“I’m always going to recommend being authentic and intentional when looking at content from a DEI lens,” Johnson says. “This starts with looking at the bigger picture and having honest hard conversations. I would challenge acquisition teams to look at what is being acquired (and how much it is being purchased for).”
Owning Our Impact
Publishers, authors, and other industry professionals must all commit to ensuring that people feel seen. The publishing industry still has a lot of work to do on this front. According to an AAP staff member involved in implementing the “Words Matter” guidance at the Academy, it’s more about “progress rather than perfection.”
“Conscious language is not about “not offending” anyone, but recognizing, affirming, and validating that we are a community of tapestries,” Talladen says. “Yes, cut from the same human cloth, but each with their own stories and histories. Denying this is why many in our modern society feel lost, unengaged, and disenfranchised.”
Matthews adds, “Language is inclusive when it respects where everyone is coming from and acknowledges the full personhood and validity of every type of human with no exceptions.”
Supporting Progress
While the process of incorporating inclusive, conscious language may not be straightforward, the important thing to remember is to continue to work hard on making sure content reflects real-time values.
“In a sense, we are fighting our own lifelong conditioning, so it may feel like a fight as you take the first steps down this road,” Matthews says. “However, the arc of history shows that the human race has been moving in the direction of equity for millennia. We can see the progress that has happened even though we’re not done yet. Isn’t it great to be in the position to directly support further progress?”
Resources such as the AMA Manuel of Style, Society for Scholarly Publishing, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the American Psychology Association all offer online tools, standards, and guidance in using inclusive language in publications. IBPA will offer a webinar (free to members) on October 11, 2023, hosted by Matthews called Intersectionality and Sensitivity: How to Spot Bias and Bring Your Authors Along. Those interested in attending can find more information and register at ibpa-online.org/events.
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Kathryn Sparks is a senior editor at the American Academy of Pediatrics. She is also a member of the IBPA Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and chair of the Advocacy Committee.