Language and Gender Inequalities: A Contemporary Society Analysis

This assignment solution examines the crucial role language plays in perpetuating gender inequalities within contemporary society. The paper, prepared for a Contemporary Society course at the University of Western Sydney, addresses the question of how language establishes and maintains gender ...Read More

Running head: LANGUAGE AND GENDER INEQUALITIES
Language and Gender Inequalities
Name of Student:
Name of University:
Author Note

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LANGUAGE AND GENDER INEQUALITIES
How important is our use of language in establishing and maintaining gender inequalities?
Differences in written means of communication and oral practices make people’s beliefs,
ideologies and perception about others, evident from their expressions. Language plays a pivotal
role in displaying gender inequalities. It is one of the most powerful means through which gender
discrimination and sexism get manifested. Languages with nouns specific to each of the genders
display higher level of discrimination than the ones without. Despite the fact that the
representation of women is increasing in all sectors, inequality is still of great concern as they get
exhibited through peoples’ languages and expression.
Sexism, gender inequalities and stereotypes are produced and propagated through
everyday commination as language create binaries and asymmetries between men and women in
their roles, power and status (Coates 2015). In most of the languages, the prototype for human
being is male and the rules of syntaxes are built in such a way that the terms which are to be
associated with the feminine are derived from that of the masculine. There are convention s
which can be traced back to the ancient ages and have propagated with time and constituted
dominant patterns in language. People often are not conscious while choosing words and employ
abstractions and attributes in their expression which are biased and bear offensive connotations
rooted in stereotypes (Sczesny, Formanowicz and Moser). These conjure consequential effects
for which one must be careful about their choice of language either while addressing someone
one expressing their perceptions or views.
It can thus be said, it is essential to address and combat the gender inequalities which
exist within society. This can be eradicated by paying attention to the use of language by
refraining from saying anything which stereotype strength, gender roles, lifestyle and preferences
on the basis of gender.

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LANGUAGE AND GENDER INEQUALITIES
References
Coates, J., 2015. Women, men and language: A sociolinguistic account of gender differences in
language. Routledge.
Sczesny, S., Formanowicz, M. and Moser, F., 2016. Can gender-fair language reduce gender
stereotyping and discrimination?. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, p.25.