Class discrimination or classism occurs when people experience prejudice due to their socio-economic status. Often times in our writing we use language that reflects class discrimination. This can be both an unconscious and conscious choice. On this page you will find resources that discuss how to remove classism from our everyday writing to reflect more inclusive language.
The APA Guide for Writing on Socio-Economic Status is a great starting resource for anyone that wants to learn more about how language can perpetuate class discrimination.
This guide covers an introduction to socio-economic language bias, reviews pejorative and stereotyping terms, and provides examples on common fixes to using biased language in writing.
The American Psychological Association (APA) is a leading professional organization for researchers, instructors, students, and more across the globe. Though the originate from the United States, APA's Style Guidelines are used internationally. APA Style was formed in 1929 to establish procedures and guidelines for scientific writing. Over the years their Publication Manual has expanded to respond to the needs of "researchers, students, and educators across the social and behavioral sciences, health care, natural sciences, humanities, and more".
At the time of publishing this Inclusive Writing Guide, the APA guide for biased writing in regards to socio-economic status is one of the best general resources on the topic. While brief, the guide adeptly pinpoints issues in classist writing and offers perspective examples on how writers can adjust their language to reduce bias.
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