Women's attitudes towards sexist/nonsexist language across the lifespan

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Published: Oct 26, 2018
Keywords:
sexist language, gender, age, attitude

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Traci C. Nagle

Abstract

The movement to reduce or eradicate the use of sexist language from public discourse is into its third decade. For nearly that entire time, scholars have been engaged in efforts to assess the effectiveness of that campaignas measured by changes in actual use of sexist language, but also by peoples attitudes toward language itself. Prior studies have found that, among both men and women, age is positively correlated with an increased sensitivity to sexist (non-gender-inclusive) language, and an increased willingness to use non-sexist alternatives. Yet these studies have focused primarily on attitudes among college students, and no study has focused on womens attitudes across the entire lifespan. The present study addresses that lacuna, with a survey of attitudes among women aged 20 to 88, and evaluates the hypotheses that age, generational cohort, and/or experience in the workforce are key variables influencing womens attitudes toward sexist language and language reform.

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Article Details

Issue
Vol. 8 No. 3 (2008): Gender in Language: Classic Questions, New Contexts
Section
Articles

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