Gender-Fair Language Report

GENDER-FAIR
LANGUAGE
CHAPTER 5
Learning outcomes
At the end of this chapter, the students should be
able to:
1.Identify the ways language discriminates against
women;
2.State forms of discrimination in language;
And
3. Explain how gender-fair language can be realized.
What is Language?
What is Gender?
Language and Gender Relation
Language is potent tool for now human understood and participate in
the world. It can shape how we see society. It is part of culture. In this
regard, language is not a neutral forces certain ideas about people
including gender.
Languge often assumes gender defining men and women different
through common adjective unequal relation can rise from statement
trivializing gender experience or perpetuating one gender supremacy.
Thelma Kintana and Angela Tongson 2014 book Gender fair language,
explores how langauges shape gender, reflects, culture, and influences
socialization, similar to gender stereotyping
Violation of Gender – Fair language
Sexist language perpetuate unequal gender relations
through stereotypes, microaggression and sexual
harassment. It can abuse and perpetuate unfair relation,
impacting perceptions of capabilities and affecting how
individual perceive the world.
Kintana and tongson gave exfensive examples of these
violation her book. The following are condense version and
real life examples of relation of gender fair language.
Invisibilization of Women
 The invisibilization of women is rooted on the assumption that men are
dominal and are the norm of the fullness of humanity, and women do not
exist. Some obvious examples of women invisibilization in language are:
* The generic use of masculin pronouns or the use of a masculine
general. The use of the word “ mankind” assumes that men are
representative of all people on this planet, and
that women’s presence or roles are not acknowledge.
* The assumption that certain function or jobs are performed by men
instead of both gender.
* The use of male job title or terms ending in man to refer to function
that may be given to both genders.
Trivialization of Women
* Bringing attention to the gender of a person if that person is a
woman – The use of “lady” girl or “woman” along with the noun brings
attention to the gender of the person rather than to the job or function.
* The perception of women as immature.
* The objectification or likening to object of woman.
Fostering unequal gender relations
* Language that lack parallelism foster unequal gender relation. The
use of “man” and “wife” that men are still men and women’s identities
are subsidized and shifted into being in relation to their
husbands.
Gender Polarization of word in use of adjectives
* Dona's advertisement uses parallel adjectives to illustrate perception
differences between men and women. Men who read are portrayed are bossy,
while those who worked overtime are seen as providing, while women are
uncaring.
Hidden assumptions
* Hidden assumption in sentence can also be form of microaggression if
the underlying perception are sexist and degrading.
* A typical example of a situation involving sexist language is show in
the following sample case.
Philippine Culture and Language
 Filipino or Tagalog is mainly gender – neutral, without gendered characteristics or
titles for men or women. Words that are gendered came from another culture, which were
adopted after 400 years of colonization. The values and the shaping of the education
system were influenced by western powers and ideals.
Identities and Naming things

 Language is used to define what is feminine, masculine, and outside feminine
masculine. It is a tool for understanding the world as well as for naming and describing
people and things.
 Language gives a person the power to define oneself and the external world and
one’s place in it.
 through language, people can reflect on their own gender identities, and battle the
definitions society imposes on them.
For example:
• Sexual harassmen
• Date rape
• Structural oppression experienced by
housewives (Given by Betty Friedan in
her book,The Feminine Mystique, in
1963)
Sexist Language and culture
• Gender Socialization – is the process in which roles are
learned.
• Language that admonishes certain acts depending on one`s
gender is a form of externalized social control.
• Common themes of a sexist language are the
commercialization and the trivialization of women.
• Normalization of sexism- makes violence against women
and children acceptable or tolerable
• Language through repetition of role,
stereotypes, and adjectives affects how one
person enacts his or her capabilities.
• Language is not inherently sexist. Being sexist
depends on a specific culture.
• The attitude of a culture towards certain gender
may influence the words use, creating sexist
language.
Towards a Gender-fair Language
• The use of Gender-fair Language in education institutions and the removal of
sexist language as imperative to gender-responsiveness is currently being
advocated.
• GABRIELA
• Liza Mazza called for a ban of sexist language in all official communication and
documents in the house of representatives.
 Language is more than just the arrangement of words. Culture and values
come from language and vice versa.
 Language is also a process that represent one`s view, beliefs, and experiences.
“It must be change to reflect the changes in the world as well as to be free
from bias since words can affect how person sees oneself and others around
him or her.

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GENDER-FAIR

Identities and Naming things

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