continuing with the topic of language:

ENGLISH IS OUTDATED (and BIASED)  

How often have you filled out
a form that asks for your marital status? 
If you are single, single again, or married, you may have never considered
what that phrase actually says.

Look at it again: marital
status.  Do you notice anything unusual
about it?  You see it so often and use it so often, you
perhaps haven’t noticed.

“What is your Marital
Status?” asks what is your status vis-à-vis
marriage.  Do you have marriage or do you
not.  There is an implicit statement that
marriage is the norm and you either do or do not have it.

Our language is
outdated.  It doesn’t take into
consideration all the socialtal changes over the centuries.  Yet, language is society’s way of passing on
norms, expectations, cultural messages. 
When we take words for granted, without thinking if they still fit, we
don’t recognize the impact they have.   And, the wrong words can send the wrong
message.

Remember the 1970s?  It’s really not that long ago (especially for
us baby boomer and mid-life women).  It
was a time when females had little influence and power in society.  We were called “girls.”  Women decided to change the language, to
reflect how we wanted to be seen – as adults, not girls, capable of power and
influence. 

Language can perpetuate a
prejudice, without our even knowing it. 
Girls, so don’t expect much from these females.  Marital status, the normal status is marriage.
 

Without a change in the language,
singles absorb the message – there is something wrong with them because they
are not meeting the norm. 

At Unique Retreats for Single
Women, this is only one of many topics we’ll discuss about what it means to be
single in a married world.  For a look at
some of the other topics, go to www.UniqueRetreatsForSingleWomen.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Single Women     SAVE THE DATE:  Oct 17-19

 
Are you tired of explaining
why you’re still single … or single again?

Are you sometimes sad about being single … even though most
of the time you are content with your life?

Do you cringe when the
women closest to you – like your
mom, grown daughter, or best friend – chide you with comments like “You’re too fussy” or “You’re not
trying hard enough”?

Do you feel society’s
pressure you should be married or
partnered – and if you aren’t, that it must be your fault?

If you answered YES to one or more of these
questions, please clear your
calendar for October 17-19, and plan to meet me in Madison, Indiana,
for the Unique Retreat for Single Women. 

 
MORE
DETAILS COMING SOON!