Pronoun use mostly by younger Canadians: Poll
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Publishing date:
Aug 29, 2022 • 10 minutes ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation 
A new poll done by the Association for Canadian Studies (ACS) suggests there are differences across age groups in the language people find acceptable around race and gender. Photo by iStock /GETTY IMAGES Article content
A new poll done by the Association for Canadian Studies (ACS) suggests there are differences across age groups in the language people find acceptable around race and gender.
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The vast majority of Canadians, for example, do not add their gender pronouns to emails or share them at meetings.
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Polling found that almost 85% of Canadians don’t add their pronouns to emails, according to a report on the study in the National Post.
But sharing gender pronouns in one’s email signature and on social media is becoming more common as a way to prevent misgendering and show allyship with the LGBTQ+ community. It is a supportive gesture suggested by many organizations.
Of respondents, 84.9% say they do not add gender pronouns to emails or share at meetings; 15.1% say they do.
Most Canadians (85.4%) do not believe adding pronouns should be compulsory.
Those who do use pronouns in emails or social media or share in meetings think it should be required. Of those who do share, 58.8% said it should be compulsory.
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The National Post cites Jack Jedwab, president and CEO of the ACS, as saying Canadians need more guidance from academics and policymakers about the language changes, including information on what these terms mean and why it is important to understand their use.
“A lot of people who do use gender pronouns feel very strongly about the need for them to be used as widely as possible,” said Jedwab.
Young people aged 18 to 24 are most likely to share pronouns, with about 30% saying they do so.
After the age of 44, it is less likely that people share pronouns on a regular basis, with only 12.5% aged 45 to 54 saying they do so.
As regards the language around race, that too involves age differences.
Statistics Canada and the Employment Equity Act (EEA) — which promotes equity in workplaces — use the term “visible minorities” to define, “persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour.”
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But in Ontario, the Human Rights Commission recommended “racialized person” or “racialized group” as an alternative, as these terms express race, “as a social construct rather than as a description based on perceived biological traits.”
Another ACS poll found many people don’t like the word racialized. Of those polled, 43.6% favoured “persons of colour” and thought it made the most sense in reference to Black or Asian people.
About 30% thought “visible minorities” was the better term.
Canadians who are Black prefer “visible minorities,” with 44.3% saying this term makes the most sense. Another 11.3 per cent of Black-identifying respondents said “racialized groups” is best.
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Again, age plays into it. Persons aged 18 to 24 prefer “racialized groups” to refer to Black or Asian people, and 24 per cent say it makes the most sense.
Very few aged 45 to 54 say it’s the better term.
The poll involved 1764 Canadians and was undertaken between July 8 and 10. A probability sample of 1,764 respondents would have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
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