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Original poster

Do you object when you are referred to in the male form of your job title?

62 replies

headfairy · 08/08/2011 14:41

I'm not sure I'm phrasing this correctly... are you offended for example if you are referred to as a chairman rather than chairperson? Waiter instead of waitress? Actor instead of Actress?

One of the jobs I do is pretty male dominated and the job description is {jobname}man.... It just sounds odd to refer to it as {jobname}woman or {jobname}person. Should I insist on being referred to as a {jobname}woman/person?

Is any of this making any sense at all

OP posts:
Original poster
headfairy · 08/08/2011 20:36

don't get me started on "sound people". I was a sound man for years too Hmm though at least that was shortened to "soundie"

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 08/08/2011 19:58

but trills, the soundpeople look after the talkie bits, don't they ?

Original poster
headfairy · 08/08/2011 19:33

:o moving photographer AF... genius. I might suggest they want to speak a bit louder dearie, I can't quite hear you

OP posts:
TrillianAstra · 08/08/2011 19:31

Moving talking photographer, we are in the age of the "talkie" now you know Wink

AnyFucker · 08/08/2011 19:26

I like the sound of that

AnyFucker · 08/08/2011 19:25

oi, I said moving photographer upthread

TrillianAstra · 08/08/2011 19:24

I would be in favour of one job title for everyone who does the same job, because really it doesn't matter if you are a binman or binwoman, if you are a headmaster or headmistress, you are just a person doing a particular job.

Original poster
headfairy · 08/08/2011 19:21

tei that I don't understand... why not just headteachers conference? Much less of a mouthful apart from anything else!

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Original poster
headfairy · 08/08/2011 19:20

For some reason I don't like camera operator... makes me sound like some kind of techie Wink

Perhaps I should call myself a photographer?

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BelfastBloke · 08/08/2011 19:17

I'm tangentially involved with a volunteer organisation that is 99% women, and always has been.

They all call their leader 'Chairman' of the committee, and each meeting has a chairman, too. I don't begin to understand this.

Does the WI do this, too?

AnyFucker · 08/08/2011 19:17

ha !

< polishes fingernails on collar >

TeiTetua · 08/08/2011 19:11

I thought Anyfucker's "camera operator" was best.

We can all be glad that the Headmasters' Conference became the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. And we do put the apostrophes in the right places, don't we?

Original poster
headfairy · 08/08/2011 18:26

no, no one says camera person, probably because it's been cameraman for so long now there are a few women working in the role it's just become the norm to be a cameraman....

It's not that poncey, it's a bit of a mouthful, but we're called Broadcast camera journalists... but everyone calls us cameramen

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PrettyCandles · 08/08/2011 18:13

I visited a school where they didn't have a Deputy Headwhatever, or an Assistant Headwhatever, but a Vice Master. Reader, I snurked.

IMO with job titles that do not have 'man' in the name, but are modified to create a female form, eg waiter/waitress, the generic form should cover all genders, ie waiter.

Titles that do have 'man' in the name should be replaced by a different form entirely, eg chairperson, firefighter.

With some titles that would be tricky - camera artist?

And perhapd there should be allowance for people who wish to retain a gender-specific form for their own job, particularly when they are not one of many in that place, eg headmaster, headmistress.

FannyPriceless · 08/08/2011 17:47

headfairy Doesn't anyone say camera person? That's what I would say.

What dreadful thing have they suggested?

Original poster
headfairy · 08/08/2011 16:38

:o Aliceliddell

Damon, you're just injecting those connotations in to the word Mistress (you filthy sod) :o

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TeamDamon · 08/08/2011 16:17

I love being a teacher Grin

Although in certain types of schools (in one of which I may or may not teach Wink), which have ye olde poncey sexist titles, it sounds much less strange to be Master i/c Debating or whatever than it does to be Mistress i/c Debating. The word 'mistress' has all sorts of unfortunate connotations...

aliceliddell · 08/08/2011 16:16

Bare breasts, headfairy? It's not even half past four!

Original poster
headfairy · 08/08/2011 16:12

tante But I'm not a laaaaayyyyyydy. I'm a woman :o

Can't stand being referred to as a lady.

OP posts:
TanteAC · 08/08/2011 16:07

Surely 'Camera Lady ' would be much, much nicer?
Wink

I once heard a woman in her 30s reference the 'Lady Busdriver'. Had an odd visual image of some Little Britain-style minor royal driving around. Ridiculous

msrisotto · 08/08/2011 16:05

Visual imaging director I reckons. Grin

Original poster
headfairy · 08/08/2011 16:02

Well Fanny, can you find one for a cameraman? Camera technician sounds ... a bit technical. I'm an artist don'tcha know? :o

Seriously though, work have come up with a ridiculously poncey name which offends me more than cameraman.

OP posts:
upahill · 08/08/2011 16:00

No I'm just grateful I've got a job after all the redundancies that have hit my place tbh.

FannyPriceless · 08/08/2011 15:17

I get more cross if I hear references to the 'female' version of a job title that should be regarded as gender neutral. e.g. manageress, lady doctor.

It is my mission in life to eliminate all gender labelling in job titles!Grin Even when I am referring to men in a job I always use a gender neutral term, e.g. sales person, police officer, flight attendant, etc.

Go on - challenge me to find a gender neutral term for any sticky ones you have come across!Wink

LolaRennt · 08/08/2011 15:14

We say server in the US instead of waitress/waiter