Part 1
Courtney: Okay, hi Sandy, thanks a lot for coming to do this interview. Now, I'd like to talk to you about equality between men and women in society. What are your views on it, your general views?
Sandy: Okay, I think political correctness is probably getting a little bit out of control.
Courtney: Oh, yes?
Sandy: Yeah.
Courtney: In what ways?
Sandy: Well, I think that issues of feminism and what not are important, but I also think that it can get to the point where it's too much, where women can get offended for things like men opening doors for them, or having to say "fireperson" instead of "fireman." Things like that.
Courtney: Right. It seems like people have to tread very lightly these days.
Sandy: Yeah, I think that it's a little bit out of control. Courtney: What about for grammatically speaking, in formal writing, when people are writing articles and newspapers or magazines? What are some of the things that you have encountered? Those are two good examples, but are there any other examples that you've encountered when reading public articles or readings of some sort? Sandy: Actually, I did. I saw an example in the newspaper saying that they had to start calling manholes "subterranean human holes." Courtney: Subterranean human holes. Interesting.
Sandy: A manhole being a hole in the ground or the street that leads to the sewer, on which a person can enter the sewer system to do construction. So now they're supposed to be, you know, non-gender-specific. Courtney: Man or woman.
Sandy: Right, but I think you can also refer to human beings as "man," as in "mankind," and not just for men. Courtney: But now you have to refer to them as "humankind. Sandy: Yes.
Courtney: It's politically incorrect to say "mankind." Sandy: And offensive.
Courtney: Do you think, though, that by improving the way political correctness is relayed- through readings, just discussion in society-that eventually a greater sense of equality will become prevalent in society?
Sandy: If-with the continued use of this kind of stuff?
Courtney: Yeah, and more enforced use of this political correctness?
Sandy: Right. That's a good question. I guess it does serve a purpose, to a point, and it is important to accept that, like, women can be firemen, firepeople, and you don't have to specify those things for just men. So it is good to grammatically change them, but I'm not so sure that now, these days, it's necessary, because there is a greater equality anyway. Women aren't really fighting for rights so much as they had to before. Courtney: Okay, but there is still room, I believe-well, many people believe, as well, for a greater sense of equality in North American cultures. Would you agree?
Sandy: Yeah, I would agree. For what issues, do you think, allow more room for equality?
Courtney: Well, I just think there are many different issues. You know, in the workforce, positions of higher power, and women can be placed in these positions of higher power and are not. I think it's still a men's world. Sandy: And when they are, they often don't make as much money. Courtney: That's right, they often don't make as much money, and that's often clearly known among employees. Also, for government, for example. I mean, the government is dominated by men.
Sandy: That's true. Courtney: Probably ninety percent of the government is made up of men. Why not have a government that is equal, men and women?
Sandy: But I also think it's important to remember that men and women aren't exactly the same, and they're not equal. So with certain regards to interest, or maybe areas of study that are pursued, certain ones are dominated by men and women. Women certainly can study politics or economics and business, but more often, I think, probably these fields are dominated by men because they're more interested, or they tend to flock more into these programs.
