A Brief Analysis on Sexism in English

2010年第23 期SCTENCE & TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION。外语论坛o科技信息A Brief Analysis on Sexism in English甘晓丹(北京师范大学外国语言文学学院英语系中国北京100000)[Abstract]Other than being a means of communication, language is also a mirror relcting culural and social values. Sexist language impliesmale superiority and reflects an unequal status of genders in society. To begin with, this thesis brielly analyses the historical and social reasons whichcause the sexism in English, and then displays the phenomena in two aspects with examples; fnally, the theis discuses changes and progress madein sexist English.(Key words ISexism; English (anguage); Reasons; Phenomena; Progress1 IntroductionLanguage and society are as intertwined as a chicken and an e.3.1 Male as norm and female as adjuncetTaking male a nom while female as adjunet is the most obriousThe language a culure uses ig ellale evidence of the values and beliefscharacteristics of sexist English, which is a direct relctio of men'sof that culture (lleen Pace Nilsen, 1990). Sexism is revealed in languagedominance in society.幽it isrevealed in many other aspects in society. Sexist languageexpreses unfair assumptions about gender differences: taking a male- -88-and feminine forms, and it is obvious that the former is considered thenorm atitude while disecriminating female. It can be either explicitbase while the ltter is just made by adding a prefix or suffix, eg, male/implicit, As a world language, English makes no exception. Sexist Englishfemale, actor/actres, waiter/waitress, hero/heroine, etc. Besides, thehas been existed for centuries, but it wasn't paid enough atention andmasculine word is the one form which compounds are made, eg- fromdidn't raise fierce disputes until the second and third wave of theking -queen comes kingdom but not queendom, from sporsman -feminist movement which has been lasted for the past half century.sportslady comes sportsmanship but not sportladyship (Alee PaceFeminists and language reformers call for an urgent elimination of sexistNilsen, 1990), except in very rare cases such as“virgin" or "prosititute",Englsh and are strongly in favour of the employment of gender -neutralwhich basically refer to female but almost bear no positive connotations.English.What iriates feminists most is that masculine words are applied to2 Historical and social reasons of sexism in Englishrepresent the entire human race, and it has already become a universalSexist English is just a representation that social sexism has inrule in almoet all languages. When the sex is unknown, we use he, himand his instead of she or her. There are also many sexist terms in manyoccupations, such as policeman, fireman, businessman, etc. which placeIt won't be exaggerated to say that sexism was bom with Eve beingspecific images and ideas into people's minds that these occupations weremade of a rib taken from Adam, a symbolic event which seems to declareonly for men.males' absolute dominance since the ereation of the human race. SinceAnother strong evidence of sexism in English is revealed inlanguage is an important part of human culture, the Genesis won't be toomariage. In most westem countries, women have to change their firstearly if we want to trace the source of sexism in English.names into their husbands' after they are married. It sounds like thatEven though acaelogial dscvenes have proved that humantroce wife is juat a poprtry that belongs to her husband. Even some famousbegan with matriarchy, patriarchy takes a much longer time in humanand successful women can be only knowmn by their husbands' nameshislory and is ail booming nowadaye. Men's advanlage in physicedl raher their om, for nstance Ms. Cune and Mrs. Thalcher. Fuhemore,biliy and power enable them to gadully gain dominance in plties the uxe of“Mrs." and “Mis" for married and unmamied womeneconomy and culture. Finally, the whole human race form a stereotype resetively is also harshly utacked. These terms are viewed athat men are superior than women and deserve more privilege, whichbecause equivalent terms are not applied to men. Men are always titledshould be embodied in all parts of human culure, including language.“M." and adressed“Sir”, boh of which indicate respect and privilege3 Various phenomena of sexism in Englishin most semantic ocasion.ln literature or daily conversations, people habitually put theSexism is manifested in English, s well 8s in most word languages, masculine word first: men and women, Mr. and Mrs, his and hers, boysin many ways. Allen Pace Nilsen, a writer and an administrator atand girds, brothers and siter, husband and wife, price and pincess, etc.Arizona State University, is among the earliest who took a probe into maybe only with two exceptions: ladies and genlemen and bride andsexism in English. After living for two years (1967 - 69) in Kabul,groom, the fist of which is a result of seking convenience inAfghanistan, where she had begun to lo citially at the role socity pronuncition and the sccond of which shows the importance of mrriageassigned to women, she began her own feminist movement. In order to to women. If we break the rule and put the feminine word firsl, it mightavoid social ises in her research, Nilsen used a desk dictionary and be rather awkward and like a violation to male's authority.mude notecards on every entry that seemed to tell something about male3.2.Males are glonfed and females; are rivializedand female. But what she found through all the notecards brought herYou can always hear people say, "be a man," but seldom hear "be anight baeck to lokiong at society, which made she ralie that language woman." Becaue in Engish, popple always connet positive oσrand society cannot be studied separated. In Women Changing Languagr sgnifcant cnotatios with the concept of masculine, while asociate(real Language Series), which was published in 1998, the author Anne negative中国煤化工. oresponding femininePauwels uses abundant studies of schoolbooks (native language and EFI/ concepl.ESL), tbe mass media, law, religion and other domains to see how sexismCone P.Y片C N M H Grely or uwitingy theworks in language. The eridence is ovenmhelming and clearly points out superioriy on tne mascume role. MOSL parents can accept their litle girdthat lnguge is sexist There are manry oher lngits and feminits who acting like a somboy, but will defnitely fel uneasy and upet if theirworking on this field and endeavouring to study in how many aspects that litle boy being sisy. Boye have nanes bearing the connotations ofsexism is expressed in English.万掰数据科技信鬼。外语论坛oSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION2010年第23 期courage, wisdom, power, e.g Daniel, Robert, Sam; however, you seldom both sexe. In fact, the use of“Miss" and "Mrs." has already beensee these great expectations in girls' names, which ually just require banned by the European Union since early 2009, which claimed thecuteness, dainty, polieness, eg Amy, Daisy, Judy.terms were too sexist for use in Parliament and public discourse.Sexism is also showed in masculine and feminine words of the sameThere are also some avant- couriers who start their feminist movementsources. Bachelor and spinster both refer to unaried people who are with not using their husbands' first names, such as Anna Quindlen, asupposed to be married in the light of their ages, but the fomer implies novelist who has worked 5 a columnist and as an editor at the New Yorkindependence and freedom of the man, while the ltter means an older Times. She declares that "I am somebody and not an adjunct ofwoman who is not likely to marry. The sharp contrast again proves that anybody." To quote another avant - courier,“He didn't adopt me, hemen have much more initiative and choices in society than women. The married me."bias is also true in compound words like lboyveall girh, govermor/5 Conclusiongobermess, wiardwitch, etc.In animal terms for people, it is also not hard to find genderEven tho ugh the feminist movement has caused the diferencesdferenes. Take“dog" for example, A lucky dog or a goy dog are boh betwen the secxe to be dowplayed in sone degee. there is sill a longpositive melaphors erring toa lucky or out-going fllow, but when a way to go before we completely eliminate sexism in English. Sexiem iswoman is a dog, she is unplesasant. When sbe is a bitch, she is the not gomething existing independenly in English or any other languages,pereonification of whatever is undesirable in the mind of the speaker.it exists in people's minds. There will be no solution to sexism inWhat'a worse, when we want to insult a man by comparing him to a dog, English if we just stay on the level of language. it is a problem that willwe call him a son of a bich, which is more malicious to his mother rather be solved only when a great mary people have given it a great deal ofthan to him. Nilsen has another typical example in. the chicken thoughu, and the final solution lies in real equality of social satusCmetaphors: A young girl is a chick. When she gets old enough shemamies and soon begins feeling cooped up. To relieve the boredom she[References]goes to hen parties and cackles with her friends. Eventually she has ber [ 1 ]Coates, Jennifer. Lenguage and Gender: A Rrader. Wiley -Blackwell, 1998.brood, begins to henpeck ber husband, and finally tums into an old bi [2L2]Eckert, Penelope, aMConell-Cine Slly Languagr and Gender.Cambridge. Univenity Pres, 2003.' [3 Iiben, Alen Pace, And Othen. Sexim and Languger. Natinal Council of4 Changes and progressTeachers of English, 111 Kenyon Road, Urbana, llinois 61801, 1977.Gender analysts wam that . the continuing use of sexist language[4]Psuwels, Anne. Women Changing Languge (real Language Series), Addiodonends to perpetuate gender seretypes and reinforce biases against[S]Roberts, Wlliam H, and Turpeon, Cregoire. About Langunge A Reader forwomen. Atributed to the fervency of feminism which began in westem Wrien (Fjth eio), Houghton Milin Company, 200countries of 19* century, there is a rise in the use of gender -neutral[6]"Sexim." En wikipediaorg. 23 Janwary 2010. Wikimnedia Foundation, Ine. 23English or non- sexist English neur the end of the 20 century.January 2010 /p/ipeiniwgikicxiai/.aProponents of gender- neutral English call for the use of "humanity"or "human race/beings" instead of“mankind", or "he or she" in place of作者简介:甘晚丹(1989- - -).★,重庆海陵人,大学本科三年级,现就读于北"he" where the gender is unknown, even the ironie use of "herstory"京师范大学外国语言文学学院英语系。instead of "history". They also want to use“Ms." a the acceptable titlefor women, just a“Mr." for men, so as to create an equivalent status for[责任编辑:曹明明](上接第257页)Revolution, and that the language of the Declaration the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, the Cettysburgwas deliberately universal, setting a high moral slandard for which the Address, each plays a essential role in contributing to the AmericanAmerican republic should aepire. Once he said:‘"There is no reason in democracy. The Declaration of Independence is the foundation stone ofthe world why the Negro is not entitled to all the natural rights the American democracy. While the establishment of the US Constitutionenumerated in the Declaration of Independence, the night to life, liberty, acts a a milestone of the American democracy and it is also the legaland the pursuit of happiness. I hold that he is as much entitled to these basis for people to enjoy the democracy. For the Gettysburg Address, it is8s the white man."an extension of democracy. Instead of limiting in the white people, theSo when lincoln gave the famous speech in Cettysburg, he's not Cettysburg Address brought democracy to a high degree of the entireonly in memory of those deaths in the war, he was alling on all the human race, which is the true Bense of democracy.科Americans to fight bravely for the country' s surival, freedom andequaliy. Throughout the speech, he made it clear that Us is a country of(References}freedom and equality from the birth of it. And the purpose of this war [1 ]Cuo Yongjun,Sun Yanpfeng.Sino-US.Comwas to ensure the long- time and universal democracy of this country. Inien[,B,rjing China Academic Joumal Electronie Publishing House, 20075.Compared with the former two documents, the progress of Cettysburg[2 ]Zhu MuzOhi, Sone Thoughs on Democney[I] Human Rights, 2002.9Address lies in its focusing on the all-out interpretation of democracy.[3]毛亮.美国民主的“形式”问题-- - 亨利.詹姆斯的《美因游i记)0北京:国外Finally in America, people realized the unfair treatment of black people.[4]冀德嗍.民主、科学的旗帜与陈独秀[I，安徽师大学报:哲学杜会学版.1989.African-Americans were alo legitimate citizens of the United States, 90[5]谈火生.审议民 主理论的基本理念和理论匯深|小北京:教学与研究2006.11.武汉:武权大学出版杜.equal righs that white people enjoy. Bul the fact was they worked as 2005,5.中国煤化工slaves of the whites. This situation, without doubt, is against the spint ofDeclaration and Constiution. So we can say that the Cttysburg Address锗MYHC N M H G文本科生,现故读于北widened the meaning of American democracy and interpreted what true京师范大学外国语言文学 学院。demoracy is.To sum up, the three most important documents in American history:[责任编辑:张麓]249