By Ellen Russell Beatty
Ponder This
Ellen Russell Beatty
The nation marked the 50th anniversary in 2022 of Title IX, the sweeping, historic federal law that guarantees equity in any education program or activity receiving federal financial aid. At that time, I wrote about my professional connection to Title IX and reflected on the historical champion swimmer Katie Ledecky.
Surely, the interconnection of the stories of award-winning swimmer Ledecky and Title IX are just one of many amazing outcomes of federal policy that occurred in my lifetime. This landmark legislation is foundational to a more inclusive legacy for the next generation.
I have had the distinct privilege of following Title IX and the changing culture of women’s sports from a bird’s-eye view within the university. The fascinating story of legislative impact on women’s sports can help our national leaders with other pieces of legislation and complex policy formation. It is an added, unintended yet monumental consequence that Title IX will help us to legislate more effectively in the future. The results of thoughtful and well-resourced governmental action can guide us, but only if we pay close attention to the profound lessons.
It is worth repeating the simple words that changed the world and set the stage for progress to come for women: “no person in the United States shall on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in or be denied the benefits of or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”
I have written about and applauded Title IX, yet still I struggle with the issues of women in general and in elected service. The subtle exclusions and marginalization still diminish full agency now and hold back progress for women in the future.
A generation after Title IX enactment, in the 1990s and right into the 2000s, we were still exploring changing language, policy and culture. Title IX was not some trendy policy; this was the full power of the federal government regarding the implementation of civil rights legislation. As a university administrator, I shared the obligation to prohibit sex-based discrimination in educational programs and activities receiving federal assistance
Did the outcome match the intended purpose of the original policy? If not, why not? What are the barriers to full implementation? In my current elected position in local government and in the university of the early 2000s, it is and was outdated language that stalled us.
The university functions, in large part, via a committee structure. This is rooted in principles of shared governance set out historically in institutions of higher learning. Other professions and areas of the workforce lend themselves more easily to language corrections toward gender neutrality.
The transition occurred easily from policeman to police officer; from fireman to firefighter. Indeed, the shift in language has been surprisingly seamless in certain professions, which then aided the more complicated challenges of gender neutrality in policy and practice.
Our own Milford police chief, when he stands before our elected boards, speaks proudly and gratefully of the men and women who serve in law enforcement positions in our municipality. His transition to the correct language of police officer is neither clumsy nor tentative. Rather, it would be the use of gender-specific terms such as female policeman or policewoman that would appear awkward and outdated. Likewise, the Milford fire chief without hesitation refers to the firefighters, first responders and paramedics of the department. The first woman to be hired as a professional firefighter in Milford was as recently as 2015, yet no use of obsolete language remains in discussion. The leadership of these organizations has modeled this acceptance in their everyday language.
In the case of academia in this post-Title IX era, there was no obvious, gender-neutral replacement word for chairman. Chair officer did not seem exacting or appropriate. During this time, women were moving quickly into academic leadership positions. I, among many, objected to the notion of “madame chairman” which was in use for a while despite the obvious dissatisfaction with the name. For a few years, in some settings, women in committee leadership positions were referred simply referred to as chairwoman. The word chair was roundly disapproved of among my colleagues with an indignant objection to an inanimate object as a title.
Slowly, an acceptance emerged for the cumbersome term chairperson. It was certainly a contrivance, but no less so than madame chairman or chairwoman. In this professional world of language, letters and writing, chairperson became quite natural and mainstream. It has been a steady and usual part of my vocabulary for these last 20 years.
Language evolves. As we learn more about a construct our understanding is changed. The best illustrations of this come from the health care arena. We now discuss the challenges of intimate partner violence in our policy discussions. It was but a mere generation ago that this same challenging problem was referred to as wife battering, spousal abuse, domestic violence or other terms reflecting our state of knowledge about the nature and scope of the problem. Likewise, we have gone through phases using terms such as drug addiction, substance abuse or problem use disorder, representing the state of our understanding and sensitivity to the issue.
Such language development is obvious in business and industry as well. The telephone company is a telecommunications industry not limited to phones. The historical name Ma Bell no longer fits the complexity of services provided worldwide in the 21st century. Nationally, we have a transportation secretary rather than a railroad manager indicative of an expanded, changed and ever-developing industry. Language evolves to incorporate new understandings.
In my family, we respectfully chuckle at a revered elder who closed his life still referring to the refrigerator as an icebox. Refrigeration in his early life consisted of a block of ice delivered to the house for placement within a storage box known as an icebox.
In the university culture, we refer to student life rather than men’s sports or co-ed programs. The term student encompasses all and is a result of change in thinking due to Title IX. This has nothing to do with politics or being woke or political. This is about enactment of policies reflective of all the people represented through the use of gender-neutral language when appropriate. The task now is to call upon these truths to continue the legacy of improving all humankind.
I was recently surprised to learn that my preference for inclusive language would generate hostility in others. I was especially surprised that this response came from colleagues who respect one another and join in common efforts as elected officials in service and action for the good of the entire community. Surely, there should be enough trust to tolerate word preferences that more fully include women.
My initial surprise turned to disappointment that we have not improved our candid communication with one another to solve these important differences. Why not listen as I explain that the use of outdated, inaccurate language can be a barrier to full acceptance? Do we not avow acceptance of women in leadership roles? Then why hesitate to foster full inclusion by language?
From surprise, through disappointment, but then to collaboration and action. We must continue communicating about difficult issues such as inclusion and equity.
We have just completed April, National Poetry Month. We are reminded by Rudyard Kipling “to keep our head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you.” The challenging problems we face require us to keep our wits, but also our goodwill about us to stay engaged successfully together.
Dr. Ellen Russell Beatty is in her fifth term on the Milford Board of Aldermen. She served seven years as Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at Southern Connecticut State University, and also served as interim Academic Vice president, Dean of Health & Human Services and Director of Faculty Development. In addition to the broad perspective and a multitude of skills required of high-level administrators, her areas of special expertise lie in strategic planning, accreditation, assessment and planning and budgetary allocation.
Great article. Title IX has made the country more equal for women. I have never understood why so many men think their masculinity is dependent on the inferiority of women. Unfortunately, demeaning the successes of women is what the current administration is pushing as the “American Way.”