英语论文英语中的性别歧视

The Sexism in English Language 英语中的性别歧视Abstract Sexism in English language has launched along with the vigorous development of women‘s liberation movement since the end of 1960s. As a mirror reflecting the society language images the social views and values. Sexism in society is thus inevitably reflected in the use of language. The paper based on the analysis of sex discrimination in English explores that it is by no means an extinction of sexist language so long as the sexism in society exists. The causes of sexism in this thesis are the inequality between male and female. In ancient time the thoughts that males host females and the treatment of women as inferiors to men are in vogue. Men are always at superior positions to women in the social economy in t he politics as well as in the people‘s traditional ideas so the idea of sex discrimination has reflected in the language. The thesis summarizes the phenomena of sexism in English by using universal evidence and they are shown and discussed in four aspects: English proverbs English expressions English vocabulary and the meanings of English words. Lastly the thesis introduces two feasible strategies to erase sexism in English language and they are: language reform and social reform. The most important one is to erase the sexist conceptions and improve women‘s status respect and support them. The language transformation can be realistic on the basis of the social reform. Key Words Sexism female words masculine words strategies 摘要自20世纪60年代起语言性别歧视已随着女性解放运动的展开而得到蓬勃发展。

语言是社会现实的一种反映因此由于历史发展、文化、社会价值及男女两性之间在生理等方面的差异而引起的性别歧视尤其是社会对女性的性别歧视一览无余的体现在语言上英语语言中也存在性别歧视。

本篇论文阐述了性别歧视产生的原因是男女地位的不平等在人类早期男尊女卑的思想盛行男子在社会经济、政治、文化领域以及人们的传统观念中总是处于比女性优越的地位人们在观念上形成的对妇女特有的歧视观念慢慢形成并反映在语言中。

本文分析了性别歧视在英语中的四个方面的表现在谚语中在词汇中在词语中和在词义中通过大量的举例和分类来系统阐述。

最后着重讨论了消除性别歧视语所应采取的一些策略从语言策略和社会策略两方面入手要消除性别歧视关键在于根除社会上存在的性别歧视观念进一步提高妇女的社会地位语言的变革只能在社会变革的基础上才能实现。

关键词性别歧视女性词男性词策略Introduction Language is a social phenomenon and it has a close relationship with the social life the language is used in a specific social group and it is not only the carrier of the ideological content but a mirror of social life it reveals people‘s traditional thoughts that sex discrimination against women in the society. From the development and changes of the language people can conclude that sex discrimination does not only exist in China but in all the countries. Therefore how does English language reflect the social phenomenon The first person who did research on the gender and language is the Denmark linguist Otto.Jespersen he regards English as the most masculine language that is familiar to him and it is a man centered language. The domestic scholars and experts Yang Yonglin Bai Jiehong and so on have done thorough research about sexist element in the English language they also have introduced some feasible strategies to erase the sexism but they just have done thorough research from the language strategy aspect. In the thesis the author does the research from the combination of the social reforms and language refo rms and it is essential to erase the sexism from people‘s minds. English as one of the most widespread languages its sexist element shall not be suitable to the intercultural communications but there is massive discrimination in it people should pay much more attention to the sex equality and the improvement of women‘s social positions. Understanding the sexist phenomenon in English language helps people study the language culture and correctly treat the changes of the language in the historical development. The thesis emphatically introduces and
analyzes the specific phenomena of sexism and also provides corresponding strategies that can be used to eliminate sexism in English language. Ⅰ. A Definition to Sexism in English Language Sexism in the Oxford Advan ced Learner‘s English-Chinese dictionary it means that disapproving action based on the ideas or belief that the members of one sex are less intelligent able and skillful etc than the members of the other sex especially that women are less able than men and those particular jobs and actions are suitable for women and others are suitable for men. Sexism in English refers to English expresses sexist assumptions about differences between men and women as in the prejudicial use of female or male words Sexist language expresses unfair assumptions and differences and it can be either explicit as in the prejudicial use of male or female pronouns or implicit. Using universal evidence the thesis here reveals how often English expresses sexist assumptions about differ ences between men and women. Just as a proverb goes in England: ―If you see an old man sit down and take a lesson if you see an old woman throw a stone.‖what expresses English version of the sexism prescribed for women is particularly confining. English jokes and folklore are blatantly sexist. Nilsen Alleen Pace 1990. In fact woman in the world no matter in which country she lives the roles designated to them is unfair in the society. Ⅱ. Sexism in English Language The paper presents the sexist phenomenon which is very universal in English language. And it is shown and discussed in four aspects: English proverbs English expressions English vocabulary and the meanings of English words. A. Sexism in English Proverbs Proverb is crystallization of human wisdom and incarnation of the concise language. The linguists consider the proverbs as a mirror of the ethnic the live fossil of the language. In recent years with the further study of the language the linguists have found what refers to both genders most proverbs in every kind of language unavoidably express the affection of the male chauvinism and feudal consciousness of the treatment of females are inferior to males and followings are some usual phenomena of the sexist language in English proverbs. 1. Role category The women are considered as delicious food in the society the roles of women in the society and culture in every country are very passive but men are active for example: ―A fair woman without virtue is like palled wine‖―all women may be won‖―words ar e women and deeds are men‖. The sentence ―long hair and short wit‖expresses women is lack of wisdom but men are clever another example goes like this: ―when an ass climbs a ladder we may find wisdom in women‖庄和诚2002 the sexist language expresses women are lack of wisdom and they are capricious.
2. Manner Category In modern society most people hold such mind that men are successful but women are sexy. In American culture a woman is valued for the attractiveness and sexiness of her body while man is valued for his physical strength and accomplishments. A persuasive piece of evidence supporting this view is that female eponyms relate closely to a woman‘s physical anatomy while the masculine eponyms have nothing to do with the namesake‘s body but instead honor the man for his achievement and accomplishment.
3. Marriage Category In relation to marriage there is much linguistic evidence showing that weddings are more important to women than to men. Many proverbs reflect such feudal consciousness that girls are not important in a family. For example: ―it is a sad house where the hen crows louder than the cock‖―Marry your son when you will your daughter when you can‖―there are many good women it is true but they are in their graves‖. 庄和诚2002 Such examples have revealed women are inferior and subordinate to them. B. Sexism in English Expressions English has gradually formed the tendency that the expressions referred to the male generalize the ones pointed to the two genders during its development. Although people do not mind to discriminate against women during their
communications the phenomena that people discriminate against women reflect the gender bias of society and sometimes women feel insult from other people. Moreover some expressions structure that elaborate the meanings of discriminating against woman have emerged and therefore people call English a sexist language. 1. The Summary of Masculine Expressions on Two Genders Masculine English expressions summarize two genders. People often meet such sentences during our study and daily life: ―any patient is free to bring his complaint to me if he feels aggrieved‖―we hope the reader will use his own judgment‖―everyone should hand his homework tomorrow‖. From the above examples it is clear that the words ―his‖or ―he ―in the sentences refer to two genders not the single gender that is to say ―he‖contains ―she‖―his‖contains ―her‖. Besides to begin a letter words referred to males contain two genders in salutations of a letter people often use the words referred to man summarize man and woman when they do not know the receiver‘s specific sex of the people for example in formal letters people often use ―Dear sir or Dear gentlemen‖but do not care for the receiver‘s sex. The sexism exists in every field so peopl e should pay much attention to the sexist phenomenon in the language. 2. Sex Orders in Expressions and Words Female words are behind male words in some English expressions when referring to men and women the two genders are not equal female words are behind male words for instance: brother and sister father and mother boys and girls husband and wife man and woman. Those do not elaborate the sexist meanings in form but with sexism in sense. The jobs teacher nurse secretary model and etc these neutral words are designated to female but professor lawyer doctor etc. are recognized as masculine words and designated to males. All these customaries are a social bias just look at another example: ―professional‖when a man is called a professional he is thought to be a doctor or a lawyer but when people hear a woman referred to as a professional and they are likely to think of a prostitute. But it is not true today because so many women have become doctors and lawyers that it is no longer incongruous to think of women in those professional roles. People should change their traditional conceptions that females are inferior to males. 3. The Changes of Female Words‘ Meanings During the development of English many female words‘ meanings have taken place during the history. For example ―governor‖in old English it referred to the person in charge of a particular unit and now it keeps the same meaning. However the relative word ―governess‖means another thing it has changed its former meaning from family tutor into prostitute and another example ―master‖and ―mistress‖referred to the male and female school teacher but now the word ―mistress‖refers to a woman who is having a sexual relationship with a married man and so do many other words lord and lory sir and Madame temper and temptress. The female words have changed their former meanings and they have been endowed with a belittled meaning which is the sexist reflection in English language. C. Sexism in English V ocabulary Sexism exists in English language it shows that masculine vocabulary refer to both genders that is to say the generalization of the masculine words. 1. Sex Discrimination and Job Titles Inferior job titles refer to both genders but higher ones only refer to male. In English there are both feminine words and masculine words referred to the inferior jobs in social status. For instance waiter and waitress steward and stewardess. But when referring to the higher post titles there are only masculine words such as doctor professor engineer etc. are suitable for both genders. However these words are usually associated with masculine if they are used to designate female they would always be added on a word ―woman‖or ―lady‖. Such as these words a lady-doctor a business woman-lawyer. In English the words used to describe woman are pejorative
and belittled but the words used to describe man are positive and praised although the man and woman do the same work in a company people used to describe them with different words due to the social bias for example a businessman is aggressive and a businesswoman is pushy. In addition one often meets these phenomena during our daily lives 2. Man and Woman Male are superior to females. Woman is subordinate to man. In vocabulary the nouns ending with –er –or are neutral words but people think they are masculine such as doctor professor engineer etc. If they are designated to females they always add woman or lady before them and many professional nouns take ―man‖as their suffix such as chairman mailman etc. Although there are many women working in the field the word he always indicate the both genders just as English teachers often say that nobody in the class can be proud of his English here ―his‖stands for girls and boys no matter that there are many boys and girls in the class. The g eneralization of the word ―he‖reveals men are superior to women and men are the center of the society. D. Sexism in the Meanings of English Words A word when it is used in different genders it is endowed with different meanings. For example ―prudent man‖refers to a man who is careful and cautious to the uncertainties and he acts care and foresight but ―prudent woman‖is the woman who behaves in an extremely manner. And another example: ―imposing man‖refers to the man who looks important or causes admirat ion but ―imposing woman‖refers to the woman who is indifferent ruthless and horrible. Furthermore another word ―tramp‖which is used to refer to the man without family job or money who travels around and asks for money from others but when ―tramp‖refers to a woman it is a mistress obviously it is a semantic choice of social bias. Sometimes two words point to the same thing the linguistic senses are different for example bachelor refers to the single man but the word spinster refers to the unmarried old woman the two words are unequal in the linguistic sense. Just because of the social bias the society treats the single man and woman differently. For English itself there is no sex discrimination even no gender difference in it masculine meanings are endowed with gender inequality by people purposely. From the above evidences people can find factors about the gender discrimination in English language . Ⅲ. The Causes of Sexism in English Language English language as a social phenomenon it surely reflects the society and it has the features which are changeable and profound. As a mirror reflecting the society language images the social views and values. Sexism in society is thus inevitably reflected in the use of language it reveals the gender bias of the society.
A. The Causes of Social Position and Power The sexist language reveals discrimination against women in social life. In ancient times man was the center of the society and more important than woman no matter in which field such as in the social economics politics culture fields and traditional conceptions woman was inferior to man and was subordinated and dominated by man they have been looked down upon gradually. As a result the idea that woman is inferior to man has been revealed in the language. Sexism exists in people‘s minds. Sexism does not only exist independently in the languages but also exists in people‘s minds. Language is like an X-ray in providing visible evidence of invisible thoughts. The most important thing people are interested in is to discuss sexist language as they make conscious decisions about what pronouns they will use no matter what jokes they will tell or laugh at how they will write their names or how they will begin their letters they are forced to think about the underlyin.。