Padi/diving & sexism

[nessum]

Hello,
First of all I'd like to say this is for a paper I'm writing for English... I'm not just trying to stir up s#%^.

But I'd like to hear about any incidents of sexism you have encountered in the diving community. I have specified Padi, because if you read the rescue diver manual, it seems that there is no such thing as a female diver. So it's just an easy target. Plus it is actual written material, which I can quote, cite, etc...
So if there's anything you'd like to share (the more material something is - ie. an article, essay, training material, advertisement - the better, but even personal encounters would be appreciated), please do so here.

Thank you,
~ness

 

[theskull]

So,

Does the Rescue Diver manual recommend against saving female divers? Or are you just perturbed by the common English practice of using the terms "he" and "his" rather than the awkward but PC terms "he and/or she" and "his and/or her"?

Perhaps a more interesting and not so terribly overworked topic for an English paper: Why does the word "awkward" look so awkward? Are there other English examples of this phenomenon?

Unless of course the professor is female, in which case "he and/or she" will really get into the whole pronoun deal.

In any case, good luck with the paper, enjoy your diving, and try not to be so sensitive--life is short!

Kindly,
theskull

 

[Don Burke]

The pictures and videos associated with the course show male and female divers.

If your gripe is about the pronouns, perhaps you could do a paper on why gender neutral pronouns have not caught on.

I heard a talk by Gloria Steinam (sp?) a few years ago in which she mentioned that a man is usually a chairman, but a woman is usually a chairperson. That could be pretty interesting to delve into.

 

[nessum]

Anyhow, this is what my paper is on.

And, one way or another, the lack of gender neutral pronouns is discriminatory, whether one considers it awkward or not. And in most contemporary writings they have caught on if for nothing more than for fear of being labelled sexist. Which would at some level be true.
I have noticed that in the divemaster text & in most of the Padi videos they alternate between using "he" & "she", etc.

Now, again, this is for school. Personally, I'm pretty laid-back about these things. But sexism does exist, often in BLATANT use and while these subtle forms of it don't bother me as much as is suggested they should by my sociology course, they are worth examining, especially considered my english prof is a bit of a feminist himself.
So again, I'm not trying to stir things up, & the intention of this thread is not for opinions on diving & sexism... but observations of it. If you would like to express your opinion I ask you to kindly take it to another thread.
Thanks again,
~ness

 

[DennisS]

Haven't seen any, I'll keep an eye out though.

 

[Arnaud]

PADI's philosophy (just another word for marketing ) is to reach and teach the mass. Do you think for a minute that they would willingly try to antagonize half of the world population?

 

[nessum]

And yet they do...

but still... not really helping with the essay

 

[divemistress]

How curious (odd? interesting?) that a question about sexism against female divers -- that was posted by a woman in Women's Views -- has prompted responses from four men and, till now, no women.

We certainly seem to have their attention.



DM

 

[nessum]

hmmm... dm, i was just gonna skip by that little gem, not surprised that somebody else noticed though.

 

[Arnaud]

nessum once bubbled...
And yet they do...

but still... not really helping with the essay

Don't you need to develop ideas in addition to stating facts? Or have you already decided that PADI was a sexist organization?