One of the first things they tell you in gender studies is this: never assume anyone’s gender. And yet, most if not all academic writing style guides maintain that one should avoid singular they at all costs.
At this point, I think we can all agree that he as a gender-neutral pronoun is in fact gender-exclusive and, frankly, sexist. Doesn’t it therefore follow that non-gender-neutral versions like s/he and he or she are equally as gender-exclusive and cissexist (excluding trans people with non-binary gender identities) to boot? Studies show that gender-exclusive language is harmful. Why do academic style guides then insist on reinforcing gender biases and language-based exclusion? As a reference, here’s a breakdown of some style guides’ stance on singular they:
MLA still says that pronouns must “agree in number and gender” and actually advises people to use either him or her in unclear cases, since singular they is still “unacceptable in academic and professional writing.” Similarly, the Chicago Manual of Style seems to eschew it as a singular third person gender-neutral pronoun. Neither MLA nor Chicago Style makes no note of people who don’t identify as male or female. APA seems to approve of singular they to an extent, but encourages you to avoid it unless you’re specifically talking about someone whose personal pronouns are they/them. Finally, as the Purdue Online Writing Lab is a popular site even among the students in Finnish universities, it’s worthwhile to take their stance into account as well even if they’re not a separate style guide as such. According to their section on pronouns, they still maintain that singular they is unacceptable, and like MLA and Chicago, they seem to operate under the illusion that only two genders exist.
While most style guides acknowledge the need to avoid gendered pronouns, they suggest making the noun plural instead. Instead of saying “a student should do her homework,” you would say “students should do their homework.” But this doesn’t always work. You can’t always make the noun plural, especially if you’re talking about a general, hypothetical person or a specific person whose gender and preferred pronouns you don’t know – let alone someone who actually identifies as they/them. Likewise, some advocate between switching between her and him in the same text, but this is a) still gender-exclusive and b) really, really confusing.
Singular they is just so much easier. Think of the following sentences:
- Someone left his or her phone in the classroom.
- Someone left their phone in the classroom.
Doesn’t the second option sound so much better? Most of us would already use the latter phrasing in our everyday speech. Why not include it in our writing as well? Even folks like Shakespeare, Chaucer, Austen and Lord Byron used it. Why not you? It’s easy! Here’s a few reasons to sway you to the side of good (and no, it’s not just because we have cookies):
- Languages change all the time! That’s the beauty of them. Languages don’t exist in a vacuum – they serve the social needs of the people who use them.
- Actively using singular they normalises the idea that gender is not a binary. Language and word choices matter!
- Personal pronouns are a multitude, but they is always inclusive in a way that s/he and he/she aren’t.
- Assuming a person’s gender is rude. Just don’t do it!
- Think of it like the Finnish hän or the Swedish hen. Just as easy and just as important!
- Last year, the singular they was chosen Word of the Year. Even the Oxford Dictionary and Merriam-Webster approve!
So don’t be a prescriptivist. Come to the descriptivist side of using singular they even in academic language. We have gender-inclusive pronouns (and yes, the cookies too)!