Women and Language

 

Language is an undermined form of oppression. “As a scholar of gender and language, and the influence language has on our subconscious thoughts of gender.” Like any other small part of our daily lives, language restricts and retracts women from society. Words such as man, mankind, dude, guys, etc. These small yet powerful words instill male superiority. Whether that’s speaking to friends or making a public statement, addressing a group of individuals changes the tone of the conversation. As a girl raised in a home with four brothers and one sister, I was always referred to as a guy. I never minded it as I knew it wasn’t in a conforming tone but at times it felt out of place. 

In conversations with mostly males, the need to raise your voice was a constant need. Although I felt inclined to speak up, the thought of taking too much space was overbearing. As stated during class, “In a mixed group, men do  80% of the talking, when lowered to 70 % men recognize the women’s voice and believe that women are speaking a lot more.” The ingrained expectation of a woman's submissive character is the reason for such a statement. The expectation of male dominance submerges the assertive women. A woman’s voice is expected to be soft and accepting. As a woman changes her verbal presentation to gain attention and power they are negatively reviewed and labeled. 

As we will never be the rule, and rarely the expectation, I wonder where to begin?