Pronoun use in the English language is closely related to the name of a person, and therefore also serves a purpose to verbally symbolize the gender of a person. This is another example of the gender binary in English because the English language is exclusively male/female when it comes to gender pronouns in the singular form, lacking a singular neuter pronoun. Some may say the pronouns “it” or “one” serve this function. However, it is dehumanizing to refer to a person, when the gender is unknown, with such pronouns as “it.” For this reason, many times the pronoun “he” is used in text as a general term to signify a person when the gender is unknown or undefined (Copperud 146-67). Yet many linguists agree that generic “he” is not actually neutral,
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However, this belief is continually disproved with new studies regarding gender and language as a result of postmodern feminist theories regarding the inclusivity of genders outside the binary. For example, The Linguistics Encyclopedia claims that “false generics,” the use of masculine nouns as neutral, contribute to women being viewed as second to men; Erica Benson and her colleagues found that perceptions of using pseudo-generic masculine terms “cause confusion as to whether or not the text addresses both men and women, or men only” (233-34); John McWhorther indicates that “when people are asked to read a sentence with a supposedly gender-neutral he, they almost always assume a man is being referred to” (9). Therefore, generic “he” is an insufficient way to express gender neutrality because it results in the exclusion of not only women, but genderqueer and gender nonconforming identities. In this way, exclusive language contributes to the erasure of minority gender …show more content…
Social conditioning to accept the gender binary is a primary cause in the development of sexist, exclusive language and results in the erasure of gender minorities as well as the encouragement of gender norm in regards to word-gender association. A shift in approaches to gender and sociolinguistics has occurred over the past few decades as feminist theories regarding social constructs about gender have evolved and changed with time. With more regard to gender inclusiveness and respect for transgender and genderqueer identities, feminists theories have become increasingly critical when it comes to gender inclusiveness, gender roles, and stereotypes about genders and their vital connections to language and sexism in society. There has been an evident spike in political correctness surrounding the language that men, women, and nonbinary genders use and this awareness of sexism in language has contributed to many changes in perceptions about gender and language. This increase in politically correct language is a critical aspect in the progression of the feminist movement, as well as the transgender and genderqueer movements. The development of a nonsexist version of the English language is well underway with the evolution of these movements and the increase of their impacts on society a
However, this belief is continually disproved with new studies regarding gender and language as a result of postmodern feminist theories regarding the inclusivity of genders outside the binary. For example, The Linguistics Encyclopedia claims that “false generics,” the use of masculine nouns as neutral, contribute to women being viewed as second to men; Erica Benson and her colleagues found that perceptions of using pseudo-generic masculine terms “cause confusion as to whether or not the text addresses both men and women, or men only” (233-34); John McWhorther indicates that “when people are asked to read a sentence with a supposedly gender-neutral he, they almost always assume a man is being referred to” (9). Therefore, generic “he” is an insufficient way to express gender neutrality because it results in the exclusion of not only women, but genderqueer and gender nonconforming identities. In this way, exclusive language contributes to the erasure of minority gender …show more content…
Social conditioning to accept the gender binary is a primary cause in the development of sexist, exclusive language and results in the erasure of gender minorities as well as the encouragement of gender norm in regards to word-gender association. A shift in approaches to gender and sociolinguistics has occurred over the past few decades as feminist theories regarding social constructs about gender have evolved and changed with time. With more regard to gender inclusiveness and respect for transgender and genderqueer identities, feminists theories have become increasingly critical when it comes to gender inclusiveness, gender roles, and stereotypes about genders and their vital connections to language and sexism in society. There has been an evident spike in political correctness surrounding the language that men, women, and nonbinary genders use and this awareness of sexism in language has contributed to many changes in perceptions about gender and language. This increase in politically correct language is a critical aspect in the progression of the feminist movement, as well as the transgender and genderqueer movements. The development of a nonsexist version of the English language is well underway with the evolution of these movements and the increase of their impacts on society a