Gendered Language

Abstract

The language used to describe concepts influences individuals’ cognition, affect, and behavior. A striking example comes from research on gendered language, or words that denote individuals’ gender (e.g., she, woman, daughter). Gendered language contributes to gender biases by making gender salient, treating gender as a binary category, and causing stereotypic views of gender. In our review, we first summarize some of the major ways that language marks individuals’ gender, focusing on the English language but noting patterns in other languages as well. Second, we describe research on the relation between gendered language, on one hand, and gender-related cognition, affect, and behavior (e.g., gender salience, categorization, stereotyping, and prejudice), on the other hand. Third, we review past and contemporary efforts at changing gendered language, including calls for the use of gender-neutral nouns (e.g., “Good evening, folks” instead of “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen”) and pronouns (e.g., ze instead of he or she). Finally, we highlight the role of values in shaping views of language policies that may mitigate the pervasiveness and consequences of gendered language.

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