英语性别歧视的起源及形式毕业论文文档格式.docx

英语性别歧视的起源及形式毕业论文文档格式.docx

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【专业】英语

【正文】

Ⅰ.Introduction

Everylanguageinextricablyreflectssexism.Itisknownthat 

“languagecannotbesexistitself,justasitcannotbedirty,butitcanreflectsexistattitudesjustasitcanreflectattitudesastowhatisorisnotconsidered 

‘taboo’.”1However, 

“languageisthecarrierandcontainerofculture,2themirrorofsocietywhichisthemeansofsocialcommunication.”3Itinextricablyreflectsthecustomsandvaluesofsociety.Historicallyandsociologically,oursocietyisman-orientedandman-centered.Women,regardedasaweakergenderinsociety,arediscriminatedforalongtimeandcompletelysubordinatedinpoliticallife,economiclifeandevenfamilylifeinthesocietydominatedbymen.Unavoidably,thiskindofphenomenonhasbeenembodiedinlanguages.

Thisphenomenoniscalledsexism.Sexism,broadlyspeaking,referstoagenderbias.TheextendedfourtheditionofOxfordAdvancedLearner’sEnglish-ChineseDictionarydefinessexismas, 

“Sexism- 

（derogation）prejudiceordiscriminationagainstpeople 

（especiallywomen）becauseoftheirsex.”4Suchabiasmainlyreferstothediscriminationagainstwomen,andthediscriminationagainstwomenexistsallovertheworldandinallaspectsofsociallife,withlinguisticdiscriminationincluded.

UnderstandingthesexistphenomenoninEnglishlanguagehelpspeoplestudythelanguageculture,andcorrectlytreatthechangesofthelanguageinthehistoricaldevelopment.ThisthesisattemptstoexplaintheoriginsandanalyzetheformsofsexisminEnglishvocabularyfrompointsofmorphology,meaningandwordcollocation,andtosuggesthowtoavoidusingsexistlanguage,inordertoraisepeople’sawarenessanduseEnglishvocabularymoreproperly.

Ⅱ.TheOriginsandReasonsofSexism

SexisminEnglishwasnotformedinoneday,butbuiltupinthelongperiodofthedevelopmentoflanguage.Therearemanycausesforsexism,themostimportantonesarethefollowing:

religion 

（HolyBible）,physiology,psychologyandculture.

A.SexismCausedbyReligion

SexisminEnglishvocabularydoesnotexistnaturally,butitiscausedbyacertainkindofcultureandchangesalongwiththechangesofculture.OneofitsoriginsistheHolyBible 

（TheBookoftheOldTestament）.AccordingtoBible,theLordGodcreatedmanfirstandmadewomanfromoneofhisribs.Fromtheorderofthebirth,itisobvioustoknowthatwomanisonlyapartofman,whichitselfisthediscriminationagainstwoman.IntheHolyBibleEveisresponsibleforAdam’ssinofeatingthefruitontheknowledgetreeofgoodandevil,whichwasforbiddenbytheLordGod.Therefore,itissaidthatthefirstwoman,Eve,commitsthefirstsin.Evenworse,womanisalwaysrelatedtotheevils,troubles,sinsandweaknessandsoon.TheHolyBibleinfluencesthewesterncultureandsocialvaluessomuchthatitisreferredtoastheoriginofsexisminEnglish.

AccordingtotheHolyBible,womanisoneoftheribsofman.Sowomenhavealwaysbeenregardedasapartofmen,withoutindependenceanddignity.Femalesareforcedtoreceivetheideologyof 

“Maleishonorablewhilefemaleishumble”sincetheywereborn.Astimegoesby,peoplebelievethatmaleisthesuperiorsexwhilefemaleistheinferiorandsecond-classsex.Hence,womensubmittomen,servemen,pleasemenandareabusedbymen.Inthismen-centeredsociety,womenmustdowhatmenaskthemtodoorwhatmenlikethemtodo.Asaresult,womenareregardedasthepassiveandill-treatedsexinsociety.People,especiallymen,wouldliketoshapethisculture.Asamirrorofculture,languagesurelyreflectsthisidea.Inaword,sexismexistsartificiallyunderthisreligion.

B.SexismCausedbyPhysiology 

Thattherearephysiologicaldifferencesbetweenthesexesishardlyamatterofdisputes,whichdoexistandcanbeeasilyobserved.Forextendedworkandlifetogether,peoplerealizethatmenaretallinstature,stronginmuscleandrobustinphysique.Incontrarytomen,womenaresmallinstature,weakinphysiqueandhavemorefatandlessmusclethanmen.Inaword,menarestrongerthanwomen.Thisdeterminesthatmenplayamoreandmoreimportantroleinsocialandeconomiclives.Aman’sjobistoworkoutsidebutawoman’sjobistostayathome,dothehouseworkandtakecareofthechildren.Womenaretreatedastheweakeronesandtheyrealizetheirownvaluesthroughtheirmarriagestomen.Atlast,womenarelowerinstatus.Theyhavetoleechontomenandaredominatedbymen.Gradually,peoplebegintodiscriminatewomenandthinkthattheyareinferiorinintelligence.Thiswrongperspectiveformsslowlyandreflectsinlanguage.

C.SexismCausedbyPsychology

Becauseofthesocialandculturalfactors,womenarealwaysconsideredtobetheweak.Peopletreatwomenasinferiortomen.Theyeducatementobemanly,decisive,andbravewhilewomenarerequiredtobepolite,conservative,obedient,andgentle.Becausewomenareinsubordinatestatusinthesociety,theyhavetoconstraintheiremotionandgiveuptheirownneedtomeetthesatisfactionofmen.Astimepasses,womenpaymoreattentiontotheeleganceandstandardoflanguagethanmenwhenspeaking.Theyusemorepleasantandpolitewordsinthehopethattheycanreceiveother’sapproval.Andtheyaretaughttospeaksoftly,toavoidcontradictingothers,tobeobedientincommunication,andtobeawareofgivingcuesofstrongconfidence.Theymouldthemselvestobeinferiorintheirpotentialsubconsciousness.5Therefore,womentrytheirbesttostrengthentheirsocialstatusthroughtheirspeechthanmendo.Thelowerthewomen’spositionis,themorepolitetheyare.Andthestandardlanguagetheyusecanshowtheirsubmissionandpoliteness. 

D.SexismCausedbyCulture

1.Socialconceptions

Therearedifferentcustomsandconceptionsindifferentcounties.Butdiscriminationagainstwomeniscommonintheworld.Sincechildhood,socialconceptionsbegantostipulatefemales’DOSandDONT’S.Forinstance,parentswillstopacryingboyimmediatelyandaskhimnottocryanymoreinthefuture.Becauseintheirminds,menwillbelaughedatiftheycry.Contrarily,peoplesympathyfemalesiftheycry.Inaword,socialconceptionsmodelmentobestrongbutwomentobeweaksincechildhood.Anotherexampleisthatboyscouldbemischievouswhilegirlsmustbegentleandquiet.Girlsmuststayathomeandactasafairmaiden.Evenworse,girlsalwaysplaywithdolls,whileboysplaywithmechanicalmodels.Inaword,socialconceptionsformmales’strongtemperamentandfemales’feebletemperamentsincetheywereborn.Femalesarebeingforcedtoretaintheirinferiorandobedientstatusinsociety.Theyhavetosubmittomenandsacrificethemselvestomentohelpthemsucceed. 

“Awomanmustregardherhusbandasherkingandservehimwithherhighestadoration.Submittingisthemostimportantandpersistentobligationofawoman.”6Howlowthestatusofwomeninfamilyandsocietyitis!

Underthiskindofcustominthemen-orientedsociety,howcanwomenavoidbeingdiscriminated?

2.Literatureandart

Alongwiththedevelopmentofcivilization,literatureandartplayanimportantroleindiscriminationagainstwomen. 

“Inliteratureandart,men’scharacteristicsare,fullofaspiration,mightyandhelpful,daringtotakerisks,decisive,indomitable,etc.Whilewomenarebeingregardedasweak,temperate,timid,passiveandsoon.Itiseasytonoticesexdiscriminationintheworksofliteratureandartbecausesexdiscriminationisoneofthemostcommontopicsofliteratureandart.”7Wecaneasilyfindoutdiscriminationfromliteratureandartbecausetheyarethecommonmedium.Literatureandartmodelmanymeaningfuldiscriminativeimagesbythecommonvalues,andconverselytheseimagesstrengthenpeople’ssocialvalues.Withthestrengthofliteratureandart,howcanweavoiddiscriminationinsocietyandlanguage?

Ⅲ.TheFormsofSexisminEnglishVocabulary

A.SexisminMorphology

ThefamouslinguistJ﹒GrenbergadvancedthetheoryofMarkedandUnmarked.This 

“MarkedTheory”reflectssexisminEnglishvocabulary.Generallyspeaking,masculinelanguageisusuallyunmarkedwhilefemininewordsaremarked.Inotherwords,masculinewordsaregenericandcommon;

however,femininewordsareusuallyderivationofmasculinewordsorcompoundwordsofthemasculinecenteredwords.

1.SexisminDerivation

Unmarked 

（masculinewords） 

Marked 

（femininewords）

princeprincess 

actor 

actress 

waiter 

waitress 

manager 

manageress 

undergraduate 

undergraduette 

editor 

editorette

hero 

heroine 

landgrave 

landgravine 

tragedian 

tragedienne 

comedian 

comedienne 

aviator 

aviatrix 

executive 

executrix 

Usually,theuseoffeminineaffixesindicatesfemale’sidentity,profession,position,etc. 

Thesewordsareinasubordinateorinferiorposition.Theabovearetheexamples:

Fromtheabovetableweknowthatthemasculinewordsareunmarked.Butforthefemininetermstheyaddsuffixeslike, 

-ess, 

-ette, 

-ine, 

-enne, 

-ix,etc.alongwiththemasculinewords.Thesesuffixesindicatewomen’sposition,subordinatetomen.ItisobvioustosexisminEnglishvocabularyfromthisaspect.

Itistruethattherearesomefemininewordswhichareunmarkedandthecorrespondingmasculinetermsaremarked.Forexample, 

“brideandwidow”arefemininetermsandtherelevantmasculinewordsare 

“bridegroomandwidower”.Infact,thesetwounmarkedfemininewordsreflectgenderdiscriminationagainstwomenfromanotheraspect.Sinceancienttimes, 

“bride”isregardedasmen’sprivateproperty,sotheword 

“bride”isun