These lyrics from recent chart-topping singles “Promiscuous Girl” and “Fergalicious” show the prevalence of the word “promiscuous” within contemporary, western society. As reflected in these songs, individuals use the term interchangeably with “slutty” and “whorish” to describe women who regularly have sex with numerous partners. Lacking objectivity and negatively portraying the subject it describes, “promiscuous” carries a powerful, derogatory connotation.
The usage of “promiscuous” as a pejorative term, however, is not a new phenomenon spurred by hip-hop stars. Speakers of the English language have been utilizing “promiscuous” as a negative commentary on sexual behavior since the 19th century. Its repeated use in both literature and conversation …show more content…
In all instances, the adjective projects a negative perception of the subject it describes and connotes disapproval of the subject’s sexual habits. Since objectivity cannot be maintained when “promiscuous” is employed, the term should stop being used in scientific discourse.
The bias associated with “promiscuous” in science is further exemplified by its more frequent pairing with females than males. In a recent study that reviewed papers in the journal Animal Behavior, researchers found that the word was disproportionately utilized to describe females and their sexual behavior. Amidst 39 articles, “promiscuous” was employed to explicitly describe females 23 times, whereas it was used only twice to describe males. In 14 cases, the word was applied in a manner that made the sex of the animal ambiguous.
These findings indicate that, contrary to scientists’ claims of objectivity, “promiscuous” is far more often a description of females than males. This result also reveals scientists’ inclination to negatively portray females and their sexual
The usage of “promiscuous” as a pejorative term, however, is not a new phenomenon spurred by hip-hop stars. Speakers of the English language have been utilizing “promiscuous” as a negative commentary on sexual behavior since the 19th century. Its repeated use in both literature and conversation …show more content…
In all instances, the adjective projects a negative perception of the subject it describes and connotes disapproval of the subject’s sexual habits. Since objectivity cannot be maintained when “promiscuous” is employed, the term should stop being used in scientific discourse.
The bias associated with “promiscuous” in science is further exemplified by its more frequent pairing with females than males. In a recent study that reviewed papers in the journal Animal Behavior, researchers found that the word was disproportionately utilized to describe females and their sexual behavior. Amidst 39 articles, “promiscuous” was employed to explicitly describe females 23 times, whereas it was used only twice to describe males. In 14 cases, the word was applied in a manner that made the sex of the animal ambiguous.
These findings indicate that, contrary to scientists’ claims of objectivity, “promiscuous” is far more often a description of females than males. This result also reveals scientists’ inclination to negatively portray females and their sexual