More Canadians say stating pronouns reinforces stereotypes than counteract: poll
Sharing pronouns and/or gender identity may be counterproductive or entirely ineffective, according to most Canadians.
Author: Isaac Lamoureux
Sharing pronouns and/or gender identity may be counterproductive or entirely ineffective, according to most Canadians.
“Gender pronouns are the terms people choose to refer to themselves that reflect their gender identity. These might be he/him, she/her or gender-neutral pronouns such as they/them,” reads the study. “Those advocating the use of pronouns generally contend that they foster inclusion, make people feel respected and valued, and make a difference in reducing stereotypes.”
However, this may be flawed, as many Canadians feel that introducing themselves in this manner has the opposite effect.
A poll published Wednesday by the Metropolis Institute found that nearly twice as many Canadians believe stating their gender identity and/or pronouns during work phone or video calls reinforces stereotypes, rather than breaking them down.
Over one-third of Canadians, 36 per cent, said the practice would have no impact whatsoever.
The belief that sharing pronouns reduces stereotypes tends to decline with age, with only 5 per cent of those aged 65 and older believing it helps, compared with 32 per cent of those aged 18 to 24.
The only age group in which more people believed it would help to break down stereotypes rather than reinforce them was 25- to 34-year-olds, with 1 per cent more people in that age group believing it broke down stereotypes compared to encouraging them.
Every other age group believed it would do more harm than good.
Canadians expressed similar views regarding the introduction of other personal identifiers, such as religious affiliation, ethnic background, language identity, and disability status. In each case, more respondents felt those introductions would encourage stereotypes rather than challenge them.
Despite this skepticism, Canadians may feel pressured to share such details due to institutional requirements. For example, a previous study found that only 2 per cent of university job ads are merit-based and not DEI.
Ontario courts even previously made it a requirement for lawyers and clients to introduce themselves to judges with their pronouns.
However, despite some public agencies pushing for DEI requirements, a previous poll found that the majority of Canadians oppose DEI hiring, including half of immigrants.
For both religious affiliation and ethnic background, every age group felt that introducing themselves with that information would reinforce stereotypes rather than break them down.
The only exception was language identity — 25- to 34-year-olds felt that introducing themselves with language identifiers would help challenge stereotypes.
Regarding disability status, 1 per cent more Canadians between the ages of 18 and 24 felt that it would break down stereotypes compared than reinforce them.
While the Metropolis Institute published the poll, the results were derived from a survey conducted by Leger between Jan. 17-19 for 1,578 respondents.
If someone were to announce their pronouns or gender to me, that would be the end of our conversation. I just don't care and will not play along.
My sister was asked at her recent mammogram appointment “how do you identify?”…she didn’t know what that meant at first, caught her off guard. Why is that a question? She had her appointment, her name, and her Manitoba health card.