Editorial practices regarding gender equality and language

Good editorial practices in gender and language

Cuadernos de Ilustración y Romanticismo promotes a non-discriminatory use of language, which avoids stereotypes and biases based around gender, race, class, religion, sexual identity or nationality, both in the topics studied and in the research methods. The stigmatization or idealization of any group, as well as the association of certain human groups with specific values, professions, ideologies or customs will be avoided.

The Editorial Board will ensure a balanced presence of women and men at all levels of its operation.

The published contributions will always include the name of their authors, in such a manner that it allows the correct identification of the corresponding author by means of an ORCID code or equivalent. Bibliographic references will include first names for the sake a clear identification.

In terms of language, we must not confuse grammatical gender (a category that applies only to words), gender as a sociocultural construct (roles, behaviours, activities and attributes that a given society and time attribute to each sex) and sex (biological differentiation in living beings). In this sense, we adhere to the United Nations goal of "expressing oneself orally and in writing without discriminating against a particular sex, social gender or gender identity and without perpetuating gender stereotypes" (https://www.un.org/es/gender-inclusive-language/index.shtml). The way to achieve this purpose must be sought without altering the necessary grammatical correctness and good style of both common speech and academic writing. In the case of articles written in Spanish, the Editorial Board refers to the report of the Real Academia Española Academy on inclusive language (https://www.rae.es/sites/default/files/Informe_lenguaje_inclusivo.pdf) and assumes the objective of "endorsing the respectful verbal treatment of men and women in our society, promoting egalitarian education that leads to the disappearance of degrading or offensive expressions directed at any person because of their sex or social condition, eliminating paternalistic attitudes towards women and strengthening labour and social conditions that put an end to historical situations of prolonged inequality". The Board also assumes, from the same report, the need to achieve this end without "violating other discursive or pragmatic postulates, such as those of equivalence, appropriateness, convenience, aesthetics and, especially, the principle of economy". By virtue of these basic criteria, the Board advises against the use of formulas that alter the morphology of the language, are uneconomical or lack an equivalent in oral communication: among them, "les niñes", "lxs niñxs", "l@s niñ@s", "los/as niño/as" in Spanish, or “Latinx” in English. Duplication, when deemed necessary, should not be systematic and should be done without using abbreviations: "los niños y niñas" or "las niñas y los niños" and not any of the above or other similar forms. It is recommended that the order of genders be randomly alternated in such cases. Avoid referring to men and women with different degrees of formality or with differentiated formulas of respect (for example, using first names for women and last names for men).

The journal's management will resolve any issues that may arise in line with these good practices, and respecting as much as possible the freedom of its collaborators.