Seminar paper from the year 2004 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 2, University of Hannover, course: Language and Gender, 5 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: In the following paper I will deal with the concept of gender-neutral language. I will begin by looking at certain false generics that are commonly used in English Language and consider the position of gender-neutral language theorists to these false generics. Due to the fact, that the gender-neutral language theory offers very general recommendations and guidelines i felt difficult to do a corpus analysis. That is why I tried to concentrate only on the main positions of gender-neutral language theory and focus on central issues within he scope of this approach. I concentrate on two particular false generics that are at the focus of gender -neutral language theory; "Man" as a generic form used in the English language to define male and female and the ambiguous use of the pronoun "He" in contexts where both sexes are to be addressed. In the second and third chapter I will take a closer look at these false generics and exemplify how they create misunderstanding and actually promote a male centred perception. In the fourth chapter I will deal with the guidelines and recommendations of language planners and gender-neutral language theorists and work out their main positions. It will be argued, that language change is not an easy undertaking but requires perseverance and consistent argumentation. The biggest challenge for language planners who want to implement genderneutral language is perhaps the persistent resistance towards the understanding, that gender - neutral language is not an issue concerning only feminists. I will conclude by evaluating the gender-neutral language theory in terms of its practicability and give a personal opinion on the approach.

Essential study guides for the future linguist. Language and Gender is an introduction to the English language as a vital, dynamic force in understanding gender. It is suitable for students at advanced level and beyond. Written with input from the Cambridge English Corpus, it looks at the way English has adapted - through words, meanings and grammar - to represent different views and beliefs about gender. Using short activities to help explain analysis methods, this book guides students through major modern issues and concepts. It summarises key concerns and modern findings, while providing inspiration for language investigations and non-examined assessments (NEAs) with research suggestions.

A Field Guide to Gender-Neutral Language introduces businesses, organizations andfamilies to gender-inclusive language and best practices. It provides helpful definitions,explanations and concrete, practical suggestions and implementation for the use of gender-inclusive language, including how to incorporate gender-neutral/gender-inclusive language intoeveryday life. To many, it feels like a new world out there. Being open and able to speak to all different livesfrom different walks of life is inclusive. As a transgender person who has been misgendered alltheir life, I created this field guide to help businesses, organizations and families betterunderstand what it means to be gender nonbinary and why inclusion of gender-expansivepeople makes sense for a changing world.This guide will assist with concrete, practical suggestions, including:? incorporating gender-inclusive language into everyday life? Examples for inclusion for gender non-binary people in policy creation? Suggestions for inclusive verbiage to use and include in business, families and everydayliving? Bringing understanding of the difference in biological sex, gender identity, sexualorientation and gender expression? Why pronouns have a big impact and how to use them appropriatelyAs a transgender person who has been everything from a very successful sales professional toa school administrator to a social media trainer, consultant, author and speaker, I have spentmy lifetime gaining an insider's perspective and experiencing first hand what the positive powerof diversity and inclusion looks like. Whether it's effecting an improved bottom line for business,welcoming a gender-expansive employee into a company's culture or embracing a familymember's uniqueness, this guide will help open eyes, ears and hearts for an all around better,more loving planet.

Essay from the year 2006 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 1,3, Queen's University Belfast (School of English), course: Sociolinguistics, language: English, abstract: Already in the 1960s and 70s have feminist linguistics started to examine language on the basis of gender questions. Numerous works focused on the problem whether women are discriminated through a more powerful “male” language use and how sexist language might be avoided. Within the subject, several different theories arose. This essay will at first demonstrate the development process of two main theories dealing with gender and language (the so called dominance and the difference-theory) and afterwards assess their adequacy in explaining linguistic behaviour in gender interaction. In 1973, Robin LAKOFF, a feminist linguist at the University of California, laid the foundations for a methodical and academic research on the subject of women’s language. Her most important works Language and Woman’s Place and Women’s Language threw light upon the possibility of discrimination through language use. A very important example for such a case might be LAKOFF’s observation of the way how women see themselves and which role they are holding within the American society. Thus, LAKOFF does not only examine the specific language used by women, but also the language used about women . Since language is guided by our thoughts, she considers it to be a mirror of the speaker’s subconsciousness . In order to investigate this phenomenon more closely, LAKOFF scrutinized her own expressions as well as expressions of friends and acquaintances. Furthermore, she analysed conversations in the television programme. As the field of this small study was very restricted, no universality is claimed for its results , but as an outcome, several criteria are established that are seen as typical for women’s language. These standards are as follows:

Discusses policies on the use of gender neutral language in the statutes of other states.

"Language, Gender, and Sexuality offers a panoramic and accessible introduction to the ways in which linguistic patterns are sensitive to social categories of gender and sexuality, as well as an overview of how speakers use language to create and display gender and sexuality. Revised to include the latest developments, this book covers discussions of trans/non-binary/genderqueer identities, embodiment, new media, and the role of language and interaction in sexual harassment, assault, and rape"--

Gender inequality remains an issue of high relevance, and controversy, in society. Previous research shows that language contributes to gender inequality in various ways: Gender-related information is transmitted through formal and semantic features of language, such as the grammatical category of gender, through gender-related connotations of role names (e.g., manager, secretary), and through customs of denoting social groups with derogatory vs. neutral names. Both as a formal system and as a means of communication, language passively reflects culture-specific social conditions. In active use it can also be used to express and, potentially, perpetuate those conditions. The questions addressed in the contributions to this Frontiers Special Topic include: • how languages shape the cognitive representations of gender • how features of languages correspond with gender equality in different societies • how language contributes to social behaviour towards the sexes • how gender equality can be promoted through strategies for gender-fair language use These questions are explored both developmentally (across the life span from childhood to old age) and in adults. The contributions present work conducted across a wide range of languages, including some studies that make cross-linguistic comparisons. Among the contributors are both cognitive and social psychologists and linguists, all with an excellent research standing. The studies employ a wide range of empirical methods: from surveys to electro-physiology. The papers in the Special Topic present a wide range of complimentary studies, which will make a substantial contribution to understanding in this important area.