titles Flashcards
1
Q
What do the use of titles in Great Britain reveal?
A
an undercurrent of sexism
2
Q
What are the four main titles used in the UK?
A
Mr, Mrs, Miss and Ms.
3
Q
What does the singular male UK title ‘Mr’ reveal?
A
- (apart from special titles such as Dr)
it does not reveal a man’s marital status whereas both Miss and Mrs do.
4
Q
What did Deborah Tannen point out about about marital specific titles?
A
she pointed out that women were continually put in the position of ‘telling stories about themselves’ from the moment they are introduced.
5
Q
When and who popularised the title ‘Ms’?
A
- the title Ms dates back to 1901 but was popularised in the 1960s and 70s by Sheila Michaels.
- this is a third option that women could use to avoid revealing their marital status with their name - and so putting them on an equal footing with men.
6
Q
What did the media think of the title ‘Ms’?
A
- this was soon derided (insulted) in the media as being an aggressive form of feminism and it remains a largely unpopular choice.
- for many the title ‘Ms’ brings with it its own assumptions including divorce and having a feminist stance. Of course, in some countries including Sweden and Canada, titles of this sort are no longer used on official documentation. This could be viewed as a potential option for the UK in the future.
7
Q
Which titles use and don’t use titles like ‘Ms’?
A
- in some countries including Sweden and Canada, titles of this sort are no longer used on official documentation.
- this could be viewed as a potential option for the UK in the future.
