An internal guide for eliminating “harmful language” at Stanford University included “American” and “survivor” as terms that should be avoided within the institution’s IT department.
The guide is part of the Stanford IT department’s “Elimination of Harmful Language Initiative” and contains a list of “potentially harmful terms used in the United States, starting with a list of everyday language and terminology.”
<mediadc-video-embed data-state="{"cms.site.owner":{"_ref":"0000017c-2d27-d823-a5ff-aff793af0000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b93390000"},"cms.content.publishDate":1671567692648,"cms.content.publishUser":{"_ref":"0000017f-e2f4-de00-a7ff-e7fff8030000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"cms.content.updateDate":1671567692648,"cms.content.updateUser":{"_ref":"0000017f-e2f4-de00-a7ff-e7fff8030000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"rawHtml":"
var _bp = _bp||[]; _bp.push({ "div": "Brid_71553468", "obj": {"id":"27789","width":"16","height":"9","video":"1209993"} }); ","theme.0000017c-2d32-d5c4-af7f-7d77b7920000.:core:enhancement:Enhancement.hbs.enhancementAlignment":null,"theme.0000017c-2d32-d5c4-af7f-7d77b7920000.:core:enhancement:Enhancement.hbs._template":null,"_id":"00000185-3132-d0b1-a3f5-f133c3a40000","_type":"2f5a8339-a89a-3738-9cd2-3ddf0c8da574"}”>Video Embed
“The goal of the Elimination of Harmful Language Initiative is to eliminate many forms of harmful language, including racist, violent, and biased (e.g., disability bias, ethnic bias, ethnic slurs, gender bias, implicit bias, sexual bias) language in Stanford websites and code,” the guide says.
Many of the terms listed are words used in everyday discussion, including “American,” “user,” “uppity,” “survivor,” and “rule of thumb.”
STUDENTS AT NEW YORK CITY UNIVERSITY DEMAND ‘A’ GRADES AFTER FACULTY STRIKE
Each word is accompanied by an alternative word to use, along with a description of why the word is an example of harmful language.
The term “American” should be avoided because it “insinuat[es] that the US is the most important country in the Americas.”
The phrase “rule of thumb” should be avoided because it is “attributed to an old British law that allowed men to beat their wives with sticks no wider than their thumb.” The description also adds that “no written record exists” of that law.
In a statement to the Washington Examiner, university spokeswoman Dee Mostofi said that the guide is “meant for internal use, often for individual work groups.”
“In this case, the EHLI website was specifically created by and intended for use within the university IT community,” Mostofi said. “It will continue to be refined based on ongoing input from the community.”
Stanford is not the only California university offering language guides. According to the Washington Free Beacon, a training at California Polytechnic State University offered a guide to avoiding “ableist” language.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The language guide listed “lame” and “handicapped parking” among its list of terms to avoid. Instead, people should use “boring” and “accessible parking” as alternative terms.
