The use of feminism, CLA and critical discourse analyses in the stimulation of awareness of gender-issues in African communities
- Ramaite-Siobo, Patricia Elelwani.
- Authors: Ramaite-Siobo, Patricia Elelwani.
- Date: 2012-08-14
- Subjects: Feminism , Language and languages - Sex differences , Gender identity , Sexism in language , Discourse analysis , Language awareness
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:9180 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5631
- Description: M.A. , Language plays an important role in maintaining and reflecting socially structured power roles. According to Poynton, (1985:3), contemporary feminism has focused a great deal of attention on the issues of socialization into gender roles and sexist discourse. Such issues are interrelated because situations to which children are exposed from the day of their birth, in which they themselves become ultimate participants, are the primary means by which their socialization is effected (Poynton, 1985:3). Many feminist critiques of language have specifically concerned themselves with representation, and have concluded that languages are sexist. This implies that languages 'represent' or 'name' the world from a masculine viewpoint, and 'in accordance with stereotyped beliefs about the sexes' (Cameron, 1990:12). It is this 'male monopoly of naming', which has detrimental effects on relationships between women and men. Some feminists, therefore, affirm that many languages have an underlying semantic rule, whereby male is positive, and female negative, which results in the 'tenets of male chauvinism being encoded into language' (Cameron, 1990:12). Moreover, the reason why languages are structured in a sexist manner is that their rules and meanings have been literally 'man made', and women have been excluded from naming and defining? (Cameron, 1990:12) Another issue which raises serious concern is that language used in the media is highly sexist, and there is irony in the fact that even on the eve of the new millennium, the media in democratic South African still perpetuate prejudices and sexual stereotypes. Newspapers and magazines still feature articles on superficial issues such as physical beauty and appearance, and these issues, which should not matter to women, are still regarded as a measure of women's worth. Ironically, beautiful bodies, hair and clothes cause more concern than the appalling rape statistics. According to Thuli Nhlapo, whose article in the Sunday World is titled 'Nineties Women oppressed by vision of beauty'; this is a violent backlash to feminism, which uses images of female beauty as a political weapon against women's advancement (Sunday World, 23 May 1999). A study of discourse analysis as well as critical language awareness would therefore be a consciousness-raising 'struggle', which will ensure that women in South Africa are liberated from all forms of oppression and abuse, more especially, sexism in language. It is important to note that culture plays an important role in the oppression of women. It is therefore not surprising that in African culture, language awareness of the lexicon of certain concepts pertaining to the oppression and abuse of women, such as date rape, sexual harassment, sexism, femicide and many other 'problems that are without names', which affect women, is still non-existent. This implies, therefore, that for the plight of women who are affected by such transgression mto be addressed, studies such as this one will have to play a very dominant role in influencing policy change and implementation in as far as language awareness is concerned. it will also be the aim of this study to initiate both women and men in African communities into the wiles of discourse.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Ramaite-Siobo, Patricia Elelwani.
- Date: 2012-08-14
- Subjects: Feminism , Language and languages - Sex differences , Gender identity , Sexism in language , Discourse analysis , Language awareness
- Type: Mini-Dissertation
- Identifier: uj:9180 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5631
- Description: M.A. , Language plays an important role in maintaining and reflecting socially structured power roles. According to Poynton, (1985:3), contemporary feminism has focused a great deal of attention on the issues of socialization into gender roles and sexist discourse. Such issues are interrelated because situations to which children are exposed from the day of their birth, in which they themselves become ultimate participants, are the primary means by which their socialization is effected (Poynton, 1985:3). Many feminist critiques of language have specifically concerned themselves with representation, and have concluded that languages are sexist. This implies that languages 'represent' or 'name' the world from a masculine viewpoint, and 'in accordance with stereotyped beliefs about the sexes' (Cameron, 1990:12). It is this 'male monopoly of naming', which has detrimental effects on relationships between women and men. Some feminists, therefore, affirm that many languages have an underlying semantic rule, whereby male is positive, and female negative, which results in the 'tenets of male chauvinism being encoded into language' (Cameron, 1990:12). Moreover, the reason why languages are structured in a sexist manner is that their rules and meanings have been literally 'man made', and women have been excluded from naming and defining? (Cameron, 1990:12) Another issue which raises serious concern is that language used in the media is highly sexist, and there is irony in the fact that even on the eve of the new millennium, the media in democratic South African still perpetuate prejudices and sexual stereotypes. Newspapers and magazines still feature articles on superficial issues such as physical beauty and appearance, and these issues, which should not matter to women, are still regarded as a measure of women's worth. Ironically, beautiful bodies, hair and clothes cause more concern than the appalling rape statistics. According to Thuli Nhlapo, whose article in the Sunday World is titled 'Nineties Women oppressed by vision of beauty'; this is a violent backlash to feminism, which uses images of female beauty as a political weapon against women's advancement (Sunday World, 23 May 1999). A study of discourse analysis as well as critical language awareness would therefore be a consciousness-raising 'struggle', which will ensure that women in South Africa are liberated from all forms of oppression and abuse, more especially, sexism in language. It is important to note that culture plays an important role in the oppression of women. It is therefore not surprising that in African culture, language awareness of the lexicon of certain concepts pertaining to the oppression and abuse of women, such as date rape, sexual harassment, sexism, femicide and many other 'problems that are without names', which affect women, is still non-existent. This implies, therefore, that for the plight of women who are affected by such transgression mto be addressed, studies such as this one will have to play a very dominant role in influencing policy change and implementation in as far as language awareness is concerned. it will also be the aim of this study to initiate both women and men in African communities into the wiles of discourse.
- Full Text:
Taalseksisme in die leksikon : met spesifieke verwysing na Afrikaans
- Authors: Vermaak, Rachelle
- Date: 2015-03-02
- Subjects: Sexism in language , Afrikaans language - Sex differences , English language - Sex differences
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:13403 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13412
- Description: M.A. (Afrikaans) , The women's liberation movement, which had its origins in the seventies, produced a number of intellectuals who have been actively campaigning for the eradication of sexism in especially the American society ever since. In terms of this movement, language is deemed to provide the very paradigm within which gender inequality is set to flourish unchecked. One of the principal aims of the movement is, therefore, to eliminate all grammatical forms in terms of which women, trapped in a traditionally male-dominated world, are being ignored, slighted, degraded and stereotyped. Soon, several publishers started introducing and organising women's study series and workshops on sexism at conferences on language and sociology. In the wake of that, a great number of publications, in which language inequalities are scientifically described, have appeared already. In addition, many articles and books were published in which guide-lines were laid down for the avoidance of sexist lexical items in the English language, which has since gained the unfortunate distinction of being labelled the most sexist language. The emphasis in the present study will, however, not fall on the ideology underlying the women's liberation movement, but on the many publications on language sexisms that had been prompted by it. Language planning and change naturally play a crucial part in all publicatlons on language sexisms. The general sociolinguistic supposition about language change is that it is prompted by change in the social structure of a society. The advocates of the development of a non-sexist language, however, appeal to the Whorf hypothesis, in terms of which the language structure of a society is deemed to reflect and facilitate its world view. According to the champions of the said hypothesis, however, the reverse of this argument should also hold good, namely that a change in the language structure of a society should bring about an inevitable change in its world view. On the strength of the latter hypothesis, alternatives are suggested for all sexist lexical items, so that v the new-found non-sexist language could help society to create a non-sexist social structure. A definition of the term language sexism has been formulated in the present study, based on the conclusions reached in research articles. The conclusion drawn is that the term sexism could only be applied in respect of language usage relating to women. Although feminists have even coined such phrases as male chauvinist pig, the literature that was taken into study (with the possible exception of that generated by Hauptfleisch, 1989), made no mention whatsoever of the possibility that male terms' could also be considered sexist. Current research projects and existing publications on language sexisms are mainly in English. With the exception of Liebenberg (1976), the few existing research studies in Afrikaans deal with specific topics, such as sexisms in translation practice or teaching material. In the present study, however, the researcher has endeavoured to describe the specific nature of those sexisms found in the Afrikaans lexicon.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Vermaak, Rachelle
- Date: 2015-03-02
- Subjects: Sexism in language , Afrikaans language - Sex differences , English language - Sex differences
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:13403 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/13412
- Description: M.A. (Afrikaans) , The women's liberation movement, which had its origins in the seventies, produced a number of intellectuals who have been actively campaigning for the eradication of sexism in especially the American society ever since. In terms of this movement, language is deemed to provide the very paradigm within which gender inequality is set to flourish unchecked. One of the principal aims of the movement is, therefore, to eliminate all grammatical forms in terms of which women, trapped in a traditionally male-dominated world, are being ignored, slighted, degraded and stereotyped. Soon, several publishers started introducing and organising women's study series and workshops on sexism at conferences on language and sociology. In the wake of that, a great number of publications, in which language inequalities are scientifically described, have appeared already. In addition, many articles and books were published in which guide-lines were laid down for the avoidance of sexist lexical items in the English language, which has since gained the unfortunate distinction of being labelled the most sexist language. The emphasis in the present study will, however, not fall on the ideology underlying the women's liberation movement, but on the many publications on language sexisms that had been prompted by it. Language planning and change naturally play a crucial part in all publicatlons on language sexisms. The general sociolinguistic supposition about language change is that it is prompted by change in the social structure of a society. The advocates of the development of a non-sexist language, however, appeal to the Whorf hypothesis, in terms of which the language structure of a society is deemed to reflect and facilitate its world view. According to the champions of the said hypothesis, however, the reverse of this argument should also hold good, namely that a change in the language structure of a society should bring about an inevitable change in its world view. On the strength of the latter hypothesis, alternatives are suggested for all sexist lexical items, so that v the new-found non-sexist language could help society to create a non-sexist social structure. A definition of the term language sexism has been formulated in the present study, based on the conclusions reached in research articles. The conclusion drawn is that the term sexism could only be applied in respect of language usage relating to women. Although feminists have even coined such phrases as male chauvinist pig, the literature that was taken into study (with the possible exception of that generated by Hauptfleisch, 1989), made no mention whatsoever of the possibility that male terms' could also be considered sexist. Current research projects and existing publications on language sexisms are mainly in English. With the exception of Liebenberg (1976), the few existing research studies in Afrikaans deal with specific topics, such as sexisms in translation practice or teaching material. In the present study, however, the researcher has endeavoured to describe the specific nature of those sexisms found in the Afrikaans lexicon.
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Taalseksisme en stereotipering in taalonderrigmateriaal vir nie-Afrikaanssprekende volwassenes
- Authors: Snyman, Maria
- Date: 2014-06-11
- Subjects: Sexism in language , Afrikaans language - Sex differences , Afrikaans language - Study and teaching - Foreign speakers
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:11515 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/11210
- Description: M.A. (Afrikaans) , Language sexism and stereotyping in Afrikaans teaching material perpetuate an image of Afrikaans reality which is not in keeping with the modern spirit of the times. Excessive language sexism can result in the second or foreign language learner forming an unfavourable image of the speakers of the language. It can also have teaching implications, of which a negative attitude and lack of motivation are the most important. It is the aim of this study to determine to which degree language sexism and sexist stereotyping occur in Afrikaans teaching material. The method of research followed when analysing several Afrikaans courses for adult foreign language learners is a qualitative-interpretative one. The subjectivity of such method is minimised by the quantitative support of the triangulation process followed in determining the occurrence of the male pronoun "he" in Afrikaans...
- Full Text:
- Authors: Snyman, Maria
- Date: 2014-06-11
- Subjects: Sexism in language , Afrikaans language - Sex differences , Afrikaans language - Study and teaching - Foreign speakers
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:11515 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/11210
- Description: M.A. (Afrikaans) , Language sexism and stereotyping in Afrikaans teaching material perpetuate an image of Afrikaans reality which is not in keeping with the modern spirit of the times. Excessive language sexism can result in the second or foreign language learner forming an unfavourable image of the speakers of the language. It can also have teaching implications, of which a negative attitude and lack of motivation are the most important. It is the aim of this study to determine to which degree language sexism and sexist stereotyping occur in Afrikaans teaching material. The method of research followed when analysing several Afrikaans courses for adult foreign language learners is a qualitative-interpretative one. The subjectivity of such method is minimised by the quantitative support of the triangulation process followed in determining the occurrence of the male pronoun "he" in Afrikaans...
- Full Text:
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