Definition of Gender Language

The use of words has never been an innocent and merely descriptive matter. We use euphemisms to avoid terms that sound bad (it is not the same to say that someone is unattractive than directly to say that he is ugly).

From a historical point of view, the use of the terms we use evolves from the change of mentality of a society (formerly to people with some disability mentally they were called abnormal or handicapped and in the language of medicine it was stated that they suffered from idiocy).

On the other hand, the terms masculine and feminine have had and have a very different social value (a fox is a very clever man but a fox is a promiscuous or prostituted woman).

In recent years, some sectors of the feminist movement propose a change in the language

Those who defend a gender inclusive language, also known as non-sexist language, propose a new style in the communication in order not to discriminate against women. In his view, instead of talking about "teachers" or "citizens" in a general sense that includes men and women, other names should be used, such as "teachers" or "the

In the sentence "the lawyers met to express their discontent" the lawyers are excluded and, therefore, it is a statement that marginalizes women dedicated to the field of law. right.

From the ranks of feminism it is argued that language is masculinized and this circumstance causes the invisibility of women. To eradicate the marginalization of the feminine in communication, an alternative is proposed: a language in which there is no inequality related to gender.

Along these lines, in the media and in the political sphere, it is common for the speaker to differentiate between male and female deputies, between friends, etc.

There are several arguments used among those who do not share the use of a non-existent language

When the masculine gender is used to generalize there is no exclusion or discrimination of the feminine. In the sentence "young children should be vaccinated" the masculine gender is used for a question of economy of language and not to exclude girls.

On the other hand, a possible alternative would involve a very unnatural message (for example "vaccination is important in the childhood"or" both boys and girls should be vaccinated ").

The permanent use of a difference between masculine and feminine alters the flow of any message, whether it is spoken or written.

The inclusive language guides present examples of what should not be used and what should be used in different settings: media, speeches, regulations, official documentation, etc. For some, this approach is inadmissible, since it implies a intervention artificial on the way of communicating of each individual.

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