1.
Language Bias
Gender and language

2.
Language Bias
 Are men and women equal?
 How are sex and gender different?
 Examples of language bias
 Symmetry and asymmetry
 Unmarked and marked
 Some words are not equal

3.
1. Are men and women equal?
 On average, in developed countries, women
make 23% less money than men. In
developing countries, they make 27% less.
 Women work two-thirds of the world
working hours, produce half of the world’s
food and yet earn only 10% of the world’s
income and own less than 1% of the world’s
property.

4.
2. Are men and women equal?
 Almost a quarter of the global population
lives in extreme poverty – on less than ¥100
per day. 70% of these people are women.
 Gender violence causes more deaths and
disability among women aged 15 to 44 than
cancer, malaria, traffic accidents or war.

5.
3. Are men and women equal?
 In Switzerland, Japan and Belgium, for every
100 men enrolled in higher education there
are respectively just 53, 63 and 78 women.
 Women hold only 1% of executive positions
in the world’s biggest international
corporations. Women hold only 6.2% of all
ministerial positions worldwide.

6.
“Women are not born they are
made.”
Simone de Beauvoir

7.
Sex and Gender
 Sex is something we are  Gender is socially
born with. constructed.
 Sex is biologically  It is not something we
determined. are born with.
◦ It is announced by the  It is something we do,
doctor: “It’s a boy!” or something we perform
“It’s a girl!”
and is created by
society.

8.
Both men and women are made.
 Gendering begins when the doctor
announces, “It’s a boy!” or “It’s a girl!”
 Male and female children are interpreted
differently and interacted with differently.
 Boys and girls are treated differently and so
they learn to be different.

9.
Where it all begins!

10.
The ways in which language is
biased reinforces the making of men
and women

11.
Symmetry and Asymmetry
 Generic: horse  Generic: man
 Female: mare  Female: woman
 Male: stallion  Male: man
 Young: foal (either sex)  Young: child
 Young female: filly  Young female: girl
 Young male: colt  Young male: boy

12.
1. Unmarked and Marked
 Lion  Lioness
 Waiter  Waitress
 Actor  Actress
 Doctor  Lady doctor
 Professor  Woman professor
 Surgeon  Woman surgeon
 Nurse  Male nurse

13.
2. Unmarked and Marked
 Family man  Women are by definition
“family women.”
 Men by definition have  Career woman
careers.
 Single/unmarried  We do not talk about
mothers single/unmarried fathers.

14.
Semantic derogation
(Words with demeaning connotations)
 Master: “He’s my  Mistress: “She’s my
boss.” lover.”
 Bachelor: Suggests a  Spinster: Suggests an
fun loving guy who has old, grey, ugly woman
succeeded in not who has been unable
getting tied down. to get a man

15.
Negative collocations
Woman Girl Man Boy
Blonde 25 28 1 1
Frigid 2 0 0 0
Honest 11 2 68 1
Hysterical 14 1 0 0
Intelligent 17 9 44 3
Loose 3 2 1 1
Neurotic 2 2 2 0
Silly 16 35 0 10
Ugly 6 4 0 0

16.
Same words, but not equal.
 He’s easy. He’s a man  She’s easy. She has a lot
who’s friendly and easy to of sexual partners.
talk to.
 Calling a man a  Calling a woman a
professional is a professional could mean
compliment she is a prostitute.
 Calling a man aggressive  Calling a woman
is also a compliment. aggressive also can have a
sexual meaning or mean
she’s pushy.

17.
Addresses and Names
 Mr. : Men keep their  Miss, Mrs. or Ms.:
names after marriage Women usually take
and pass them on to their husband’s name
their children. and lose their maiden
names.
 Men are more likely to  Women are more
be addressed by a title likely to be addressed
and their last names. by their first names.

18.
Conclusions
 Language is not neutral and affects attitudes
towards and status of men and women
 Many language forms preserve and reinforce
attitudes that males are the norm.
 Many language forms lessen women’s position or
role in society.
 Words have positive or neutral meanings when
used to talk about men, but negative meanings when
used to talk about women.