Authors Often Use the Word "Man" to Refer to Large

question 11

Multiple Choice

Authors often use the word "man" to refer to large groups that include both male and female members such as "all mankind." Sociologists and feminists argue that this is an example of the use of sexist language.What does this tell us about the relationship between language and culture?

• A) Language is shaped by culture, and the use of nonsexist words is a signal of social change.
• B) Language shapes culture, so using gender-neutral language facilitates social change.
• C) Language can change culture, but only in negative ways that increase sexism and discrimination.
• D) Culture can only be transformed through material and economic change, not through any connection to language.

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Definitions:

Conservation

In psychology, the ability to understand that certain properties of objects, like volume or mass, remain unchanged even when their forms or appearances change, typically associated with Piaget's stages of cognitive development.

Object Permanence

A cognitive development concept that an infant learns, recognizing that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or touched.

Accommodation

A cognitive process outlined in Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, referring to how we alter our existing frameworks or ideas to incorporate new information.

Assimilation

The process by which a person or a group's language and/or culture come to resemble those of another group, often leading to the diminution of the original culture.