Language Gender Issues

As part of sign-systems, language is an extremely powerful tool for empowerment and/or oppression. We have seen the forceful rhetoric of a man like Adolph Hitler help oppress millions of Jews and other "undesirables". We have seen, also, the empowerment of millions from the inspirational and encouraging use of language by men like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. Throughout history language has been used as a powerful tool to oppress and/or empower. From slavery to revolution, language and the social institutions which reinforce its use and meaning either liberate or deny. Perhaps this is nowhere more evident than when it comes to language and its impact on gender. From ancient civilizations to modern existence, language has been used as a tool that has either oppressed or empowered women.

There are myriad examples of language being used to oppress or empower women. For instance, documents from the U.S. Constitution to religious texts like the Bible used "male" terminology in words and phrases like "all men are created equal", "mankind", and many others. In other words, it is very often social institutions and legislation that reinforce the use of language as a powerful tool to construct reality. This is true in terms of gender. Gender is a social construction we learn, even though we are all already born male or female. Society often tells us what it is it means to be a male or a female through language.

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