GENDER AND SOCIETY

(Week 3: June 30 & July 2, 2020)

GENDER-FAIR LANGUAGE
Language and Gender Relations

Language is a potent tool for how

humans understand and participate in the
world. I can shape how we see society. It is a
part of culture. In this regard, language is not
a neutral force; it enforces certain ideas about
people including gender.

Many gendered assumptions are

present when it comes to language. Language
defines men and women differently as seen in
common adjectives associated with these genders. Unequal relations can
stem from statements that trivialize once gender’s experience or perpetuate
one gender’s supremacy. It evaluates gender, insomuch as language t
rivializes or devalues certain
characteristics. Thelma Kintanar and
Angela Tongson, in their 2014 book
Gender-Fair Language: A Primer, focused
on three aspects of language that inform
how gender is shaped – language
articulates consciousness, reflects
culture, and affects socialization. Like
gender stereotyping, language influences how one sees his or her gender and
perceives other people’s gender.

Violation of Gender-Fair Language

Sexist language is a tool that reinforces

unequal gender relations through sex-role
stereotypes, micro-aggressions, and sexual
harassment. Language can be used to abuse,
such as in the case of sexual harassment. Or to
perpetuate stereotypes. It can for, subtle
messages that reinforce unfair relations, such as
how “men cannot take care of children” or
“women cannot be engineers” which may
impact how one views his or he capabilities. All in all, language is a
powerful force that plays a significant role in how one perceives the world.”
Kintanar and Tongson gave extensive examples of these violations in their
book. The following are condensed version and real-life examples of
violations of gender-fair language.

Invisibilization of Women

The invisibilization of women is rooted in the assumption that men

are dominant and are the norm of the fullness of the humanity, and women
do not exist. Some obvious examples of women invisibilization in language
are:

 The generic use of masculine pronouns or the use of a

masculine in general. The use of the word
“mankind” assumes that men are
representatives of all people on this planet,
and that women’s presence or roles are not
acknowledge. Similarly, saying “guys”
when referring to a mixed-gender group
assumes that girls are invisible, and call
attention to male gender, giving them a
stronger presence.

 The assumption that certain functions or jobs are performed

by men instead of both genders. For example the sentences
“The farmers and their wives tilled the land” or “The politicians
and their wives lobbied for change” assume that men can have
jobs as farmers and politicians, and women who do the same
work are still made to be known as wives, with their identities
forever linked to being married to their husband.

 The use of male job titles or

terms ending in man to
refer to functions that may
be given to both genders.
For instance, the title
“businessman” and
“chairman” assume that all
businessmen or chairmen
are men and that certain jobs
may not be for women,
which is not true.
Trivialization of Women

 Bringing attention to the gender of a person, if the person is a

woman. The use of “lady,”
“girl,” or “woman” along
with the noun brings
attention to the gender of a
person rather than to the job
or function. Examples of
these include “girl athlete,”
“woman doctor,” “lady
guard,” and “working wives.” This notion also works for men
who enter traditionally female jobs such as “male nurses,” “male
nannies,” or “male secretaries.”

 The perception of women as

immature. W omen may be
labelled as “darling” or “baby” by
those who do not know them,
making them appear childlike or
juvenile.

 The objectification, or likening to

objects, of women. By being called
“honey,” “sweet,” or “chick,”
women become devalued,
especially if they are in an
environment that merits formality
such as the workplace.

Fostering Unequal Gender

Relations

Language that lacks

parallelism fosters unequal gender
relations. The use of “man and
wife” assumes that men are men,
and women’s identities are
subsumed and shifted into beings
in relation to their husbands.
Gender Polarization of Words in Use of Adjectives

The personal care brand Dove recently came out with an

advertisement that used parallel adjectives to show the difference in
perception regarding men
and women. Both men and
women did the same
activity, but were described
differently. In the ad, men
who took the lead were
considered the “boss,”
while women who have the
same initiative were
considered “bossy.” Men
who worked overtime were
seen as “providers,” while women who did the same were seen as
“uncaring.” This polarization of adjectives shows how perception does
change how one sees certain acts, depending on who performs them.

Hidden Assumptions

Hidden assumptions
in sentences can also be
forms of micro-aggression if
the underlying perceptions
ar e sexist and degrading.
For example, the statement,
“The father is babysitting his
children,” assumes that the
father is not a caregiver, and
that any attempt he has at parenting is temporary as the mother is the main
caregiver. A typical example of a situation involving sexist language is
shown in the following sample case.
Aaron mentioned that his friends from his all-boys high school would often
use the word “bakla” as an insult. They would also use bakla to describe someone
who lost at games or was weak at sports. He stopped doing this in college. He
shared that he already “grew up,” and stopped using terms like bakla as insults
because he knows that doing so may hurt someone who is actually gay. Perhaps,
Aaron see gender sensitivity in language as a sign of maturity.

Philippine Culture and Language

Filipino or Tagalog is mainly gender-neutral, without gendered

characteristics or titles for men and women. Word that are gendered came
from another culture, which are adopted after 400 years of colonization. The
values and the shaping of the education system were influenced by Western
powers and ideals. Filipino portray a mix of identities, an infusion of both
native and foreign perspectives and values.

Identities and Naming Things

In previous lessons, sex and gender are

defined, and explain how these points can
help reflect one’s identity. Language is
used to define what is feminine,
masculine, and outside feminine or
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. It provides a definition of others
as well, and one’s relationship with them. Through language, people can
reflect on how their own gendered identities, and battle the definitions
society imposes on them.

Naming things give them power. For example, sexual harassment

was never seen as an issue as it was
never given a name. it was
unwanted behavior in the
workplace, but was seen as
something that could not be
contended with. Because it was
unnamed, it was ignored by those
in power as if it did not exist.
Recognizing harassment for what it is – by defining and describing the act –
helped women around the world put mechanism that would address
workplace harassment. Similarly, women who experienced date rape had
no term to describe what occurred to them, but naming their experience
helped them come to terms with their issue.

Another example of
“the problem that has no
name” was given by Betty
Friedan in her book, The
Feminine Mystique, in 1963.
Friedan described it as the
discontent that middle-
class housewives felt in the
United States during the
1950s to the 1960s. in
naming the issue that her
fellow housewives felt, Friedman was able to highlight the structural
oppression experienced by housewives, that despite their basic needs being
met, they themselves were unable to take control of their lives due to the
limits the society enforces on their reproductive roles.

Sexist Language and Culture

Previous discussion noted that

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.
These sexist portrayal of women extend to the advertising industry,
entertainment industry, and the arts.
The normalization of sexism makes
violence against women and children
acceptable and tolerable. Using
language for stereotyping can
contribute to sexism by reinforcing the
idea that certain words and traits
should only be associated with specific
genders.
 How people related to each other on a day-to-day basis reinforces
behavior, both positive and negative. To call someone stupid everyday
could have an effect on his or her potential. In turn, language through its
repetition of roles, stereotypes, and adjectives affects how one enacts his or
her capabilities. Constantly mocking or joking about women/LGBT,
sexualizing them, and making them appear weak would indeed make them
internalize these ideas.

That being said, language is not inherently sexist. Being sexist

depends on a specific culture. Similarly, the attitude of a culture towards a
certain gender may influenced the words used, creating sexist language.
Language is both a symptom and a perpetrator of sexism and is the very
telling of how society sees a certain gender.

Toward a Gender-Fair language

The use of gender-fair language in

I

educational institutions and the removal of

sexist language as imperative to gender-
responsiveness is currently being
advocated. GABRIELA (General Assembly
Binding Women for Reforms, Integrity,
Equality, Leadership, and Action)
Women’s Party national President and
party-list representative Liza Maza called
for a ban of sexist language in all official
communication and document in the
House of Representatives. The creation of a comprehensive gender-fair
language policy and the
evaluation of the effectiveness
of gender-fair institutions are
indicators for a gender-fair
institution. These actions are
small steps one can take in
ensuring that institutions are
indeed gender-fair.

Language, then, is more than just the arrangement of words. Cultures

and values come from language and vice versa. Language is also a process
that represents one’s views, beliefs, and experiences. It must be changed to
reflect the changes in the world as well as to be free from bias since words
can affect how a person sees oneself and others around him or her.
 Gender and Society: The Whys of Women, Their Oppressions, and Paths to
Liberation, Rodrigues, Agustin Martin G. and Ara Marie Leal Rodriguez, pp. 38-
45.

Pictures are downloaded from the internet.

Prepared and submitted by:

ARIEL MAGTANONG TAMAYO

Course Instructor