Some people claim that language has become over time an instrument to convey powerful ideas. Language is in service of the people and changes as people use it on a daily basis. As a result, marked and unmarked terms treat men and women differently, drawing people’s attention in academia and their professional lives. This gender bias is believed by many to be a clear sign of sexism in language, which should be avoided as a way to dwindle sexist language.
Over decades women have been subordinated to men, and the conventions to address and refer to both genders have shown obvious signs of linguistic discrimination, proving that language can be sexist (Graddol & Swann, 1989). Over the years, gender designations have relied on socially constructed behavior expectations in which individuals and groups function. Socially and psychologically appropriate behavior for males and females are determined and sanctioned by society, which leads to conclude that grammar in deed may shape our thoughts as stated by Gastil, (1990). And it does have a psychological effect on language users.
Sexist language does not seem to be a merely linguistic problem, but also a social one. In the past, women were supposed to stay at home, remaining subordinated to men, where the men were considered as the center both in family and society. Throughout time, terms to refer to a man or a woman reflected social attitudes concerning the traditional roles accorded to women and men.
One tendency comprises words that are restricted in reference to one sex or the other, with female words tending to have less favorable meanings. The fact that women’s and men’s social roles are not equal in our culture also has its parallel in language. One example of this is the pair or words master and mistress[1], where the male meaning is “good” and the female is “bad”, especially a mistress but not a master is a partner for extra-marital sex.
Some people claim that it is important that as a society we understand prejudice and understand that language is the vehicle that communicates attitudes and influences thinking. It is a matter of educating ourselves, acknowledging that words have meaning in context or usage, and understanding that sexism is not in language per se but rather in people.
Currently, there is a movement to make language neutral. People in this social movement claim that if we are to succeed in life, enhancing our opportunities for success, we need to start thinking about instructing ourselves and instructing others on gender-neutral language. It is central that we analyze sexist language and discover how to avoid it without compromising beliefs that we might have, taught probably at an early age at home or school.
These defendants of gender-neutral language state that although it is true that sexism will not disappear almost immediately just by advocating for a non-sexist language in academic and professional communication, it is also true that it is our choice to do our share to battle sexism, avoiding language that unnecessarily emphasizes gender, offends either gender or excludes women or men. Our call is to choose to alternate or decide between masculine and feminine pronouns. After all, language is in people, and it is people who shape their experiences in the way they use language.
[1] The word comes from a French feminine form of maistre, meaning “master.” The title Mrs. is an abbreviation for master, first recorded in the early 17th century, as mistress was used as a respectful term to refer to a married woman. Currently, it is understood as a lover.
References
- Graddol, D., & Swann, J. (1989). Chapter 5: Is language sexist? Gender Voices (pp. 95-134). Cambridge, MA: Blackwell.
- Gastil, J. (1990). Generic pronouns and sexist language: The oxymoronic character of masculine generics. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, 23(11-12), 629-643.
