On Sexist Attitudes in English
On Sexist Attitudes in English

Summary/Abstract: This paper deals with a few aspects of the English language, which are conducive to forming negative and discriminatory attitudes towards women. The authors believe that language, culture and the development of society are closely interrelated. Language may reflect and shape society by embodying and disseminating relations of power. Dominant groups within cultures have created biases in language that disparage and belittle certain groups within society, one of the groups being women. This in-built discrimination can be obvious, as seen in the so-called pairs of words buddy / sissy, callboy / callgirl, where the female words acquire a clearly negative meaning, or in food, plant and bird metaphors, where women are treated as decorative and delicious objects or silly creatures

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