The Ombuds Blog: Blog Post Explores Use of 'Ombudsman' in UK

June 09, 2015

Blog Post Explores Use of 'Ombudsman' in UK

In a blog post yesterday, researcher Margaret Doyle wrote about "the problematic matter of terminology in the use of the term ‘ombudsman’" -- an issue that came up early in her study of informal resolution approaches by Ombuds in the UK and Ireland. Her early review found both a wide range of terminology and a surprising question: "Why the ombuds community is so intent on engaging in both linguistic and conceptual acrobatics by insisting that ‘man’ does not mean ‘man’."

Her concise article reviews the Scandinavian etymology of ‘ombudsman’; current usage in Norway (which has moved to the gender neutral ‘ombud’ and ‘ombudet’); explains why it matters linguistically and socialogically; and discusses gender neutral alternatives. (Ombuds Research Blog.)

Related posts: UK Financial Ombudsman Service Debates Name Change; Texas Tech Ombuds Updates Name; Linguist Finds "Ombuds" Usage Shifting Slowly; Former ESPN Ombuds Explains Why She Was Not an “Ombudswoman”; Statute Changes BC "Ombudsman" Into "Ombudsperson"; New Google Tool Shows Dominance of ‘Ombudsman’ Over Variants; Washington State Education Ombuds Faces Budget Cuts.

1 comment:

MDoyle6/09/2015 7:53 AM
Thanks for the write-up of our blog post. My colleague and co-author Varda and I are hoping to get a conversation going about this here in the UK....something you in the US and Canadian colleagues have been discussing for some time!
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Organizational Ombuds

Organizational Ombuds serve as a confidential, independent, neutral and informal dispute resolution resource for a specific entity. They are accessible to a defined population and can advocate for fairness. These unique characteristics distinguish Organizational Ombuds from Classical Ombuds, mediators, arbitrators, and other alternative dispute resolution professionals. The term "Ombuds" is shorthand for "Ombudsman," "Ombudsperson" and "Ombuds Officer," which also are used widely.

Some other variants include:

Austria -- Ombudsstelle

Brazil -- Ouvidor

Croatia -- pravobranitelji

France -- médiateur/defénseur

Germany -- Ombudspersonen

Italy -- difensore

Netherlands -- ombudspersoon

Norway -- ombudet

Poland -- Rzecznik

Portugal -- provedor

Russia -- омбудсмен

Spain -- ombudsman organizacional

Sweden -- studentombud

Switzerland -- ombudsmann

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