2. Sexism as a concept and behaviour
• The term sexism was coined by Pauline M.
Leet in US in 1965 as a model on Racism.
• Sexism in language involves words or
expressions that carry negative,
discriminatory attitudes towards people on
gender bases.
• People’s gender: involving mainly males and
females.
• Male sexism and Female sexism.
3. Male sexism in language
• Theories and constructs have been developed
since first feminist wave.
Worth mentioning:
• Hostile versus benevolent sexism
- Hostile sexism: manifest in people’s words and
actions.
- Benevolent sexism: perceives women as “pure
creatures who ought to be protected, supported,
and adored and whose love is necessary to make
a man complete” (Glick and Fiske, 2001: 109).
4. Benevolent sexism:
A formidable enemy to women; it
goes camouflaged under the cover
of cherishment.
Many women like or accept being
cherished and, therefore, admit
sexism massively and easily.
It aims to keep women socially and
psychologically docile and inferior
to men.
It justifies and feeds hostile sexism
It averts criticism.
5. Generic “he”
• Dear Ladies and gentlemen, if someone loses his
way, no one can help him; he can help himself by
using the map which has now become his.
• Dear fathers, if someone loses his way, no one
can help him; he can help himself by using the
map which has now become his.
• Dear mothers, if someone loses his way, no one
can help him; he can help himself by using the
map which has now become his.
6. Generic “she”!
• Dear ladies and gentlemen, if someone loses
her way, no one can help her; she can help
herself by using the map which has now
become hers.
8. Alternatives to generic “he”
• Reformulation:
plural they, generic you, plural
eg: If someone loses his way, they
can use the map…
• Replacement:
he or she -- he/she -- s/he --
(s)he -- she or he -- she/he
thon , co , se , yo , e,
hu , zhe , phe
9. • Generic “man”:
All men are mortal, Sara is a man; therefore,
Sara is mortal. (Mind a feminist riposte!)
• Asymmetrical pairs:
[bachelor – spinster]
- Bachelor: a man who has never been married.
- Spinster: a woman who is not married,
especially an older woman who is not likely
to marry.
10. • Longer sexist statements:
- Women are the snares of Satan.
- Long hair, short wit.
- Behind every successful man is a woman.
- Beware two things: a winter blue sky and a
praying crone.
- All women are whores, except those who
can’t (be so).
18. Conclusion to the study
• Which enhances which, sexism or
language?
- Language reflects rather than
generates sexism.
- Language reflects our thoughts
rather than tailors them.
19. General conclusion
• Sexism in language is a global issue.
• There is an interactive relationship between
language and sexism, but language reflects
rather than generates sexism; language reflects
our thoughts rather than tailors them.
• Sexism is a matter of long sociohistorical
heritage, mirrored in our acts and words.
• Language sexism is an additional burden on the
part of the language learner and user.
• English suffers from many inconsistencies, one
of which is sexism.
• English needs a rational reform.