This book is a revised version of a dissertation completed in 2009. A corpus-based study on German personal reference, more specifically the sex-marker ‘–in’, is at its core. Grammatical gender in German is often stated to be independent of the notion of sex (or gender in the sense of Butler 2004, respectively), even if some residual relation is acknowledged at least for personal appellation (cf. Kalverkämper 1997, Ulrich 1997). The present study investigates the usage of ‘-in’ with inanimate referents (also called ‘non-personal agents’). One main question here is, if grammatical gender influences the ways in which we construct such non-personal agents (cf. Jobin 2004). According to Goschler (2005), there is a strong tendency to anthropomorphism in language, thus when we personify things we also ‘engender’ them by using grammatical gender as an indicator for the gender of the target metaphor. In German, such congruency normally would not be necessary. Women can without problem be referred to by the masculine form. But in some cases with inanimate referents congruency is made:
Die Firma Minolta Austria Bürosysteme, Anbieterin von Kopierern, Faxgeräten
und Laserprintern [...]" (N91/DEZ.25705).
‘The company-FEM Minolta Austria Bürosysteme, provider-FEM of copying
and fax machines and laser printers [...]'
In the book, a combined method from computer and corpus linguistics was implemented in order to create useful data. The major research tool was COSMAS II, a corpus application, with which the German reference corpus (3,6 Billion words) can be accessed. Research resulted in a comprehensive database from which the study of grammatical gender in German could benefit. Results indicate that, if non-personal agents are understood as juristic personae, grammatical gender does not automatically determine if the sex marker ‘-in’ is used.
Contents
1. Introduction
1.1. State of research
1.2. General outline
2. Theoretical framework
2.1. Post-structuralist approaches to language and grammar
2.2. Hen or egg? Is language structure preceding language use?
2.3. Embodiment of thinking
2.3.1. Metaphors as embodied thinking
2.3.2. Idealized cognitive models
2.3.3. Linguistic relativity
2.4. Language and grammar from a constructivist point of view
2.5. The prestige of structure or a structure of prestige?
2.5.1. Conventionalization and conventionalized meaning
2.5.2. Reference vs. appellation
Personal appellation and gender
2.5.3. Grammaticalization
2.5.4. Summary
3. Feminist linguistics – overview of the literature
3.1. The development of feminist linguistics
Excursus: the language critique of English
3.1.1. The generic masculine or default
3.1.2. Prescriptive or descriptive?
3.1.3. Pseudogeneric
3.1.4. Sexism = racism?
3.2. Entrenched positions
3.3. German feminist linguistics today
3.4. Summary
4. Approaches to the study of gender in grammar
4.1. Early approaches on grammatical gender – Greek and Latin
4.2. The continuation of the discussion throughout the middle ages
4.3. The 17th, 18th and 19th century
4.4. Summary
5. Gender in modern grammar theory
5.1. The relation between sex and gender revisited
5.2. The status of a feminist perspective in current research
5.2.1. A model of markedness
5.2.2. Naturalness
5.2.3. Development and types of gender
Types of gender systems
5.2.4. Synchronic functions of gender
5.2.5. The generic masculine today
5.3. Summary
6. Methodology
6.1. Corpus linguistics and automated text search
6.1.1. Linguistic corpora versus the internet
6.2. Generating a list of lemmata with the help of DUDEN
6.2.1. Further adaptation with GREP
6.2.2. COSMAS II – corpus search
Excursus: WaCky
6.3. Summary
7. Summary of results and outlook
7.1. Design of MS-Access database
7.2. Results from database test runs
7.3. Summary and outlook
Research Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this dissertation is to critically evaluate different theoretical approaches towards feminist linguistics, particularly those concerning gender-symmetric language strategies, and to establish a framework for analyzing these phenomena from a constructivist and post-structuralist perspective. The research investigates how language systems and language usage are interrelated and how these processes contribute to the construction and maintenance of gender-specific perceptions in discourse.
- Theoretical debate between diachronic and synchronic linguistics regarding gender-symmetric language usage.
- Application of constructivist and post-structuralist frameworks to grammar and gender theory.
- Analysis of the relationship between grammatical gender and biological gender (sexus).
- Implementation of corpus-linguistic methodologies to generate and analyze data on gender-symmetric appellations.
- Critique of the "generic masculine" and its role in the construction of social reality.
Excerpt from the Book
2.5.1. Conventionalization and conventionalized meaning
Conventionalization is the basis for the power of linguistic speech acts: “Specific grammatical patterns and structures are held up through social practice, which at the same time also justifies the social practices themselves” (Hornscheidt, 2006, p. p. 75). So for a convention to remain a convention it needs to be continually repeated and it also has to be repaired continually. The convention could be viewed as in competition with other conventions and thus it has to be restated again and again to strengthen it—otherwise it might be replaced. This effect is visible in the following example: In German the word die Studierenden is used instead of the generic die Studenten. It is a form of grammatical abstraction by using a nominalized participle in its plural form. But the abstraction from grammatical gender only works in the plural form. There is, however, a tendency to use the participle in the singular and with a masculine article i.e. in analogy to other generic forms. So, the convention of using the generic masculine is repaired.
Hornscheidt (2006) views conventions as a historic processes in which social norms are sedimented. For Hornscheidt “conventions are manifestations and effects of power relations, which are at the same time constructed and reproduced by such conventions” (Hornscheidt, 2006, p. p. 75). Thus, in a constructivist framework we speak of conventionalization as this better indicates the processual character of this phenomenon. Conventionalization is defined as “setting a standardized language use as norm at a certain point of time in a certain society” (Hornscheidt, 2006, p. p. 75). By setting such a norm it is further implied that a certain kind of language usage is valid over time, that it also is unchangeable and that it mirrors something underlying.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the objective of the study, which is to evaluate feminist linguistics within the poles of diachronic and synchronic linguistic theory, and highlights the central problem of the strict division between language system and usage.
2. Theoretical framework: Develops a post-structuralist and constructivist framework for analyzing grammar, emphasizing that language is a reality-constructing medium rather than a reflection of extra-linguistic reality.
3. Feminist linguistics – overview of the literature: Provides an overview of the development of feminist linguistics, focusing on the critique of the generic masculine in German and the evolution of the field from the 1970s onwards.
4. Approaches to the study of gender in grammar: Critically reviews historical approaches to grammatical gender from early Greek philosophy to the 19th century, highlighting how these theories often reinforced patriarchal structures.
5. Gender in modern grammar theory: Re-evaluates grammar-theoretical discussions on gender, examining modern perspectives and the perceived persistence of the "generic masculine" despite feminist interventions.
6. Methodology: Describes the technical approach, including the use of corpus linguistics and the COSMAS II database, as well as the creation of a list of lemmata for analyzing gender-symmetric language.
7. Summary of results and outlook: Presents the developed MS-Access database and discusses test results, illustrating the prevalence of traditional masculine forms and the complexities of achieving gender-symmetric language in practice.
Keywords
Feminist linguistics, Gender in grammar, Corpus linguistics, Constructivism, Generic masculine, Language usage, Post-structuralism, Personal appellation, Gender-symmetric language, Linguistic relativity, Conventionalization, Language change, Grammaticalization, Social reality, Language system.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this dissertation?
The work focuses on evaluating feminist linguistics and its theoretical struggle within the linguistic field, particularly concerning the generic masculine and the possibilities of gender-symmetric language.
What are the primary theoretical themes?
The central themes include the critique of the language system (langue) versus language usage (parole), the concept of embodiment, and the constructivist view that language creates rather than reflects reality.
What is the main research question or goal?
The goal is to analyze the problems arising for feminist theory when assuming a strict division between language system and usage, and to explore if this division is analogous to other binary oppositions that maintain power structures.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The study utilizes a combination of theoretical literature review and empirical corpus-linguistic methods, primarily using the COSMAS II database to analyze the usage of the feminine suffix '-in' in German.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body covers the development of feminist linguistics, historical grammar-theoretical discussions on gender, modern grammar theories, and a methodological approach to tracking and categorizing gender-inclusive language usage.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
The core keywords include Feminist linguistics, Gender in grammar, Corpus linguistics, Constructivism, Generic masculine, and Personal appellation.
How does the author define the relationship between grammar and gender?
The author, drawing on constructivist theory, argues that grammar and gender are not static, inherent categories, but are rather highly conventionalized forms of language usage that are continually reproduced and authorized through social practice.
What is the "MAN-bias" as mentioned in the study?
The MAN-bias (Male As Norm) describes the phenomenon where the masculine form is regarded as the "prototypical" human representative, causing women to be either invisible in or excluded from generic forms of address in language.
Does the author conclude that language change has been successful?
The author observes that while institutional guidelines have been implemented, the hardened fronts and the persistence of the generic masculine in public and scientific discourse demonstrate that gender-symmetric language remains a controversial and ongoing area of struggle.
What is the significance of the MS-Access database mentioned?
The database serves as an empirical tool to manage and make searchable feminine lemmata, enabling a statistical overview of how gender-symmetric patterns are utilized in contemporary German discourse.
- Quote paper
- Claudia Posch (Author), 2009, Feminist Linguistics and Corpus Linguistics, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/270662
