To create an inclusive and diverse society, UK Finance, a prominent trade body for British bankers and financial services, has issued a guide on language usage which has garnered significant backlash. Here’s the whole story.
It Should Be Black and White
In an effort to promote diversity and inclusion, UK Finance’s language guide calls for replacing specific terms that have long been part of industry jargon.
‘Black market’ is singled out for replacement with ‘illegal market.’
While the ‘black market’ has been used for generations, the guide argues that it could be perceived as racially biased or discriminatory.
A similar change is suggested for the term ‘slave,’ which will be replaced with ‘secondary’ in sector discussions to avoid potential harm and insensitivity.
Conscious of Language Choices
The guide acknowledges the importance of being conscious of language choices in broader society, highlighting that UK Finance takes such issues extremely seriously.
The organization joins a growing list of companies and institutions striving to be more inclusive in their communication.
The inclusive language guide also addresses several phrases commonly used in the finance and technology sectors.
One such example is the phrase ‘grandfather-father-son,’ which refers to levels of age or hierarchy in infrastructure or backups.
Removing Age-Biases
According to the guide, using ‘grandfather’ to denote older technology or backup and ‘son’ for newer technology or copy could perpetuate age-based biases.
Instead, UK Finance suggests adopting more neutral terms to describe these concepts accurately.
Similarly, the term ‘man-in-the-middle,’ used to describe a cyber-attack, is targeted for replacement with ‘network interception.’
The guide reasons that ‘man-in-the-middle’ could be perceived as gender bias, and a more gender-neutral term should be used.
Using More Gender-Neutral Terms
In the tech industry, connectors should not be referred to as ‘male’ or ‘female,’ as it could reinforce gender stereotypes.
Instead, the guide suggests using terms like ‘male alternative’ or ‘female alternative’ to describe these connectors.
While the guide aims to encourage greater inclusivity, many have criticized it.
Critics argue that such changes are an unnecessary overreach and detract from the primary focus of financial institutions, which should be on the country’s economy.
It’s Been Labeled as ‘Woke Nonsense”
Tory MPs Nigel Mills and Tom Hunt are among those who have criticized the move towards inclusive language.
They label it as ‘woke nonsense,’ suggesting that financial institutions should prioritize economic matters over linguistic changes.
Similar criticism was directed towards London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s language guide for City Hall staff.
The guide, which banned phrases like ‘ladies and gentlemen’ and ‘illegal migrants,’ aimed to create a more inclusive workplace.
Absurd! – “So, You Can Use Illegal Market, but Not Illegal Migrants?”
However, some conservative critics dismissed the guide’s contents as ‘absurd’ and accused it of being politically motivated.
Several social media users expressed their thoughts on the incident.
One Twitter user wrote, “This isn’t new. About 25 years ago, I worked for the local council in Traffic & Transport. We were instructed to stop calling “accident black spots” by those words, and the “black” had to be dropped!”
Another User wrote, “So, you can use illegal market, but not illegal migrants? Very often, there is a crossover between the two?”
He Refused to Serve Entitled Tourists That Cut in Line, Much to the Delight of Onlookers
The post Is the UK Finance’s Guide To Inclusive Language Absurd? Utter ‘Woke Nonsense’ – The New Language Guide Sparks Outrage as the Use of ‘Illegal Market’ Is Ok, but ‘Illegal Migrants’ Is Not?!” first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
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Source: Daily Mail