“Words cut deeper than a knife. A knife can be pulled out; words are embedded into our souls.” — Truer words have never been spoken – and with them comes a very simple message: words matter. For many, it can be difficult to comprehend just how powerful language can be, with it often being even more difficult to understand how the use of certain adjectives or phrasing can impend the success of someone’s career through a phenomenon called coded language.
Building communication skills and avoiding the use of coded language (unintentionally or otherwise) are vital for a successful career in business, so before you enroll in an MBA or related qualification, it’s important to establish what kinds of soft skills (including communication) will be covered in your degree by ensuring you have appropriate questions to ask MBA admissions officers or university bodies ready at hand.
To help you get started, though, we have pulled this guide on what coded language is, why it might be used, the ramifications of its use, and how it can be eliminated from our vocabulary.
What is coded language?
The coded language uses seemingly ‘neutral’ or ‘run-of-the-mill’ words or terms with alternative, offensive meanings that negatively describe something or someone.
Coded language is often targeted at people of color, women, minorities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. The main ‘objective’ of coded language is to negatively portray a particular group of people.
Because coded language-based remarks are veiled as ordinary, everyday words and phrases, this kind of discriminatory behavior is generally not called out and often ‘gotten away with.’ Coded language can contribute to the upholding and maintenance of oppressive power structures.
Coded language are words or terms that have alternative, offensive meanings. Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash.
Why is the coded language used?
Coded language is used as a cover to express sexist, racist, and other identity-related stereotypes subtly, without saying words that are considered outright offensive.
Unlike other offensive terms, coded language does not refer to race, gender, or other identity markers, which makes it easy for someone (knowingly or not) to hold a position of power and hold back people who are ‘different’ from them without using clear, explicit language.
What are the ramifications of coded language?
Words can be used to build someone up or break them down, encourage or discourage. If offensive coded language is continually used, an employee can feel targeted, which can have serious ramifications for both their mental state and their career.
Being repeatedly singled out and targeted with coded language can start to impact an employee’s perception of themselves, which in turn can negatively impact their mental health. It can also impact the way coworkers or superiors view this person, which may affect how many opportunities, promotions, or raises they may receive.
Performance reviews are another place where coded language is evident in a slightly different form. A study published in American Sociological Review showed how gender bias was evident when the same language describing traits was applied to both males and females, and the perception of whether the trait was positive or negative differed based on gender.
The results showed women could not simply “act like men” to get ahead as it elicited backlash – for example, while openly ‘engaging in confrontations’ or ‘pursuing positions of power’ were considered positive traits to list for men, they evoked negative reactions from supervisors for women.
Examples of coded language and how to eliminate it
Coded language is subtle and can be difficult to determine. Below, we have listed four common words or phrases – you can find more examples of coded language here.
1. Bossy
Bossy is a coded word that is generally used to undermine women, often those who are in positions of power and are unafraid to stand up for themselves or voice their opinions. Being assertive is considered a negative attribute for women who traditionally have been guided to be softer and ‘more likable.’ Because of this, negative language like ‘bossy’ is used for women, whereas it is considered a positive attribute for men, so the more favorable term ‘assertive’ is used.
Imagine hearing coworkers insult you for being bossy while simultaneously, your male colleagues are praised for being assertive.
Replace ‘bossy’ with: ‘opinionated’ or ‘strong-willed.’
2. Sassy
Just like the use of bossy, ‘sassy’ is a word aimed at women who can stand up for themselves – particularly black women – which reinforces the stereotype that they are ‘loud, sassy and angry.’
The term is not used in a complimentary manner, rather it is used to tear them down and implies you can have your opinions but don’t share them.
Replace ‘sassy’ with bold.
3. You’re actually very good/quiet/polite for someone who’s (insert country, race or other identity marker)
An entire sentence, but one I am sure you have heard before.
Disguised as a compliment, sentences with this structure are discriminatory and reinforce racist stereotypes. It can also make others look at those with the particular identity marker in a way they were not doing so before.
Replace the sentence with: just don’t use it, period.
4. Emotional
Using ‘emotional’ when referring to any woman will instantly make her sound unhinged and immediately discredit whatever she is saying due to the negative connotation of the word. It can be used to silence a woman’s opinion without providing any logic or sound reasoning, especially when it is inconvenient for the receiver of the opinion.
Replace ‘emotional’ with: passionate.
More ways to eliminate coded language
Despite best efforts, sometimes it may be unclear to you how your choice of words may be biased or contain coded language. These three simple steps can help you check your language and remove offensive words from your vocabulary.
- When giving someone feedback, be precise. It can be easy for discriminatory phrases to slip in when you are vague, so do your best to be as direct as possible and give specific examples where appropriate.
- Check yourself for words you may use for people in specific groups or demographics. Chances are those are discriminatory.
- Never use wording that relates to a person’s race, culture, sex, or sexual orientation. If you find yourself using these types of words, take a second to ask yourself why, and it is really necessary.
Photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash
