HET HET524 PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE

LANGUAGE AND GENDER

Gender Perspective : Language Use and Attitude Towards Sexual Harassment at Workplace in Malaysia
By : Premani & Sathiawathi

Language and Gender

Language and gender is an area of study within sociolinguistics and applied linguistics that investigates the varieties of speech associated with a particular gender, or social norms for such gendered language use. The study of gender and language in sociolinguistics and gender studies is often said to have begun with Robin Lakoff's book, Language and Woman's Place and few other prominent scholars including Deborah Cameron, Penelope Eckert, Janet Holmes, Deborah Tannen, and others.

Language and Gender

A variety of speech (or sociolect) associated with a particular gender is sometimes called a genderlect.

Lakoff (1975) men's language is assertive, direct and sounds adult while women's language is immature, nonassertive and hyperpolite.

Language and Gender

Sex based variable - Difference in speech behaviour between men and women are related to psychological, neurological and biological factors. Gender based variable - Difference in speech behaviour between men and women are related to gender roles. (Excert, 1998)

Sexism in Language
Use of language that devalues or degrades of one sex (mostly women) foster gender inequality. Dicriminates against women by rendering them invisible/affects them sexually (Sexual Harassment at Workplace) Perpetuates male supremacy Jick & Mitz (1985) reviewed various language studies on gender differences in occupational stress. - found women more frequently experienced psychological distress in workplace while men experienced more physical stress

Sexism in Language
Burke (2002) Women working in lower status jobs indicated high levels of job stress, MORE HARASSMENT in WORKPLACE, insecurity in jobs, have greater physical hazards at work and reported more psychosomatic symptoms. SO....Interpersonal conflict played a greater role in causing job stress for women than men. (Narayanan, Menon & Spector, 1999). Due to women are slightly more emotionally exhausted than men. Traditional unfair social prejudices based on gender continue to have negative impact on working women to have inferiority complex and lower self-esteem (Rubin & Brown 1975)

What experts say ?

Lakoff (1975) - Sexual harassment at workplace are related to gender misperceptions and this behaviour comes in term of visual, physical, non-verbal and VERBAL BEHAVIOUR. Zweg (2010) Sexual harassment at workplace often based on a 'hostile work environment' resulting from vulgar LANGUAGE and conduct directed at the claimant. Bates (1988) Informal use of sexual LANGUAGE in the workplace produces a subtle separation between women and men and alienates those who do not participate in the use of sexual language from the informal power structure in the organisation.

What experts say ?

Lee (1992) Adjectives employed to describe the women and men are based on their qualities. A woman is often judged by her appearances A man is judged by his character, achievement and status Feminist critics have commented on the ways that women are more often defined by physical attributes (blonde, tall, nymph-like, stunning); age (young, middle-aged); marital status (married, spinster, divorced, widow); relationship to the other (wife, girlfriend, partner, mistress); and profession/occupation divided along gender line (woman/female guard, officer, doctor,)

What experts say ?

Bahiyah (2002, 2003) Compared to females, males are usually defined by their accomplishments (Senior Director, University of Malaya graduate); power (via force, status, authority, expertise); character (daring, brave); and occupation (guard, officer, IT expert,pilot) Creates the stereotypical perception of the female gender women are highly regarded as decorative, sexual, very much dependent on what others think of their body and appearance.

Negative effect of sexism and sex-role stereotyping

Social ill sexual violence, domestic violence and sexual harassment in workplace. Sexual harassment making verbal remarks that establish an offensive and stifling work environment (Sexist Language jokes with inappropriate sexual connotations, derogatory comments about ability based on gender create discriminatory) English words reflect an aura of sexism and unfairness. Man chairman, mankind Title for man Mr (Single & Married) Titles for woman Miss (Single), Mrs (Married)

Harassment language-Sexist
Studies on woman coal miners in US, Sexual Harrasment (Yount, 1991)
Hot chick young female - referred by sexual perception on appearance Flirt single young woman referred as someone easily agrees for intimacy Tomboy single older woman - referred as someone who has male traits and has no value of feminity and do not have dignity Ladies married woman usually not hued by men and seen as not with pride.

Women were viewed as sex object / sluts Creates hostile work environment not gender neutral exposed to humiliation that male coworkers did not face

Harassment language United States (Reeves VS CH Robinson Worldwide Inc) - 2001

Reeves worked as a Transportation Sales Representative at CHRWs Birmingham, Alabama and only female Reeves alleges that sexually crude language that offended her permeated the work environment every day (sexually offensive language, phrases, jokes, songs, comments, remarks.) She complained to the branch manager and he denied that the co-workers would have used such words. Reeves resigned 2006, she filed a complaint against the company alleging for the use of sexually offensive language created a hostile work environment in violation.

Harassment language (Reeves VS CH Robinson Worldwide Inc)

Vulgar language specified offensive words referring to women's analogy lead to sexual harassment SO..... Although vulgar language is not directed specifically at a woman, it could be actionable as sexual harassment Sexual remarks by the co-workers http://www.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions/ ops/200710270.pdf

India
Sexual Harrasment 'Eve Teasing' unwelcomed sexual gestures, remarks or behaviours verbally or non-verballly which are offensive and unacceptable. No specific law against sexual harassment at workplace. Currently, due to extreme sexual harassment and violence among female college students and young females, the government had introduced new law for any form of sexual harassment and sexual violence that might insult the modesty of a woman.

Malaysia
Sabitha, Asma & Sabrina (2011) study on the differences in the usage of language and attitudes towards sexual harassment at workplace. Samples : Public sector workers in Malaysia Research design : Cross Sectional Design (observe the entire population of public sector workers in Malaysia) Instruments: Observation, questionnaire and interview.

Malaysia
Findings on sexual harassment on women at workplace in language use. the language used is sexist which interrupts the modesty of women the use of gender-specific vulgarity or profanity especially offensive to woman the use of words that reflect the women's appearances the use of sexist language which leads to inferiority complex in women. Tannen (1990) males and females employ different methods to communicate and sometimes it turns out to be offensive.

 In reality, sexual harassment in the workplace is a problem for all, that harassment can damage employees prospects for gaining employment, advancement, and wages. Harassment can create an offensive, hostile, and intimidating work environment that interferes with ones performances and job success. How do women respond during the sexual harassment at workplace ?
hate, disgussed, felt cheap, felt like a slut, afraid, I want to hit their faces, helpless, trapped, humiliated, ashamed, is a shameful act, unruly, a bully, felt dirty, hopeless, horror, shocked, aghast, sickened, outrageous, sad, frightened despicable, disgraceful, lost my dignity, low self esteem

Malaysia

 How do men respond during the sexual harassment at workplace ?

When the first time she came on to me, I was surprised and tongue-tied, it was really unexpected for women to behave that way, but i just take it as a joke..

Malaysia

Female respondent have higher tendency to perceive sexual harassment behaviors as disturbing compared to male respondents. Booth-Butterfield (1984) men are not aware of emotional messages from their peers Abbey & Mei (1986) - male and female responses
differed sharply along gender lines in their perceptions of behavior, males rated the female target higher on sexual traits than females did. Males perceived the women as flirtatious, sexy, and more seductive than did the women.

In retrospect
Sexual harassment at workplace is occurring due to the existence of sexism in language. Nilsen (1994) sexism will cease to disappear from our language and our mind if there is linguistic reformation. Eliminate linguistic sexism and sex role stereotyping so that gender equality is reflected in language we speak, read and hear.