Chapter 12, Language, Gender, and Sexuality: Online material

For Students

1. Summary

The research in sociolinguistics on language, gender, and sexuality is presented here in three main sections.

First, we talk about how sexism and heterosexism can be encoded in language structure and vocabulary.

Second, we look at how language is used to create Discourses of gender and sexuality. The third and most extensive section looks at research on how men and women use language, tracing research trends up to the current focus on language as a means of expressing gender and sexuality identities.

2. Review

2.1. Compare and contrast the following pairs of terms/concepts:

gender/sex category

gender/sexuality

sexism/heteronormativity

gender exclusive language/gender preferential language

dominance approach/difference approach

ideologies/identities

2.2. Review questions

2.2.1.What are some examples of sexism in language? 2.2.2.What are some example of sexist and heteronormative Discourses?

2.2.3.What are some of the ways that men and women have been said to speak differently? What is the

evidence for these differences, and can they be generalized to all men/women?

3. Terms to know from this chapter sex categories transgender cisgender gender sexuality sexist heterosexist

Discourse ideologies heteronormativity gender exclusive language

LGBTQ gender preferential language deficit model dominance approach backchanneling difference (or two cultures) approach intersectionality desire

4. Links

Gender and Language is the title of the journal sponsored by the International Gender and Language

Association. This webpage gives information about the journal, the Association, and upcoming conferences. https://www.equinoxpub.com/journals/index.php/GL

The Council on the Status of Women in Linguistics (COSWL) of the Linguistic Society of America presents syllabi from instructors teaching language and gender courses (many thanks to Scott Kiesling for updating this list). http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jlawler/gender.html

The ‘Heterosexual Questionnaire’ on this website is designed to raise awareness of the hegemony of heterosexuality by treating heterosexuality in the way homosexuality is often treated – as something abnormal and in need of explanation. http://queersunited.blogspot.de/2008/04/heterosexual-questionnaire.html This online discussion about gender-neutral occupation terms illustrates that there is a lack of consensus not just about the need for gender-neutral terms, but about what constitutes gender neutrality. http://www.seriouseats.com/talk/2011/01/when-did-waiter-become-server-anyway.html

These two websites both contain articles about journalists writing about female politicians; both provide guidelines for writers and attempt to raise awareness about sexism in political discourse, the former in a somewhat more scathing tone than the latter. http://jezebel.com/how-to-write-about-female-politicians-without-being-a-s-1530000794 http://www.cjr.org/minority_reports/wam_women_running_panel.php?page=all