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Linguistic relativity has been studied by scientists for decades to determine if our language and words can have a significant influence on how we think.
The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis argues exactly that: the language we use cannot just influence but structure our views of society and the world.
One aspect of language that has received a great deal of study is the issue of gender. A great deal of research has been conducted to investigate if gendered language impacts our views of the world.
Those who speak languages other than English will likely have already thought about this issue, as there are more gendered languages than not. Even so, gender is used in very different ways.
The Romance languages, as well as Arabic and Russian, among many others, all assign gender to nouns. The conjugation of nouns is, in fact, determined by the gender assigned to it.
In contrast, English has very few gendered words. There are, of course, the words he, she, him, her, but there are very few examples of gendered language in English.
The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis argues that the use of gendered nouns not only impacts a culture, but can also contribute toward the definition of and differences between what is considered male and what is considered female, and the various implications of such.
In a 2011 study, researchers analyzed views pertaining to objects between those who speak gendered languages and those who do not. The study sought to investigate how objects would be grouped or categorized by perception, and the impact of language in doing so.
Speakers of Romance languages demonstrated quicker response rates when the objects belonged to the same grammatical gender. Using Spanish as an example, words like car and book are both masculine.
Therefore, participants in the study found it easier to group two masculine words together due to their gender, in contrast to, for example, words like car and wheel, of which the former is masculine and the latter is feminine.
English speakers who participated in the study showed no such results. Their response time was the same. Therefore, the study demonstrated a correlation between languages that do not gender objects, and response times.
Although this sole study isn’t able to formulate conclusions regarding languages’ cultural influence, it was able to demonstrate the unconscious effect gendered nouns can have on how objects are thought of.
Another study demonstrated that the representation of inanimate objects is impacted by the assignment of gender to nouns. The same study determined that people’s ideas of said objects are influenced by their language.
A similar 2019 study looked at speakers of the different Romance languages, examining if they perceive certain items to be more masculine or feminine in reflection of their gender assignment.
For example, the word bed in Italian is masculine, while in Spanish it is feminine. Researchers wondered if Italians tend to see beds, the objects, as more characteristically masculine than the Spanish.
Their study determined that grammatical gender assignment does influence people’s perception of items, but that it is largely context driven.
In their study, they argue that how an item is thought of as either masculine or feminine goes beyond just its gender assignment, but the context or task in which the item is referenced. For example, making the bed as a task can be considered more feminine due to societal norms in Italy, in which women do more domestic work. While, for example, putting a bed together from its parts, may reiterate its masculine nature as societal norms in Italy pair assembling a bed with men's labor.
As the link between perception and language has garnered more attention, gender-neutral language has emerged in contexts where a gendered language dominates.
An example of such is the noun hen in Swedish. Hen is a gender-neutral pronoun that was introduced to the Swedish language as an alternative to she or he.
Inspired by the Finnish word hän, the Swedish hen was introduced in the 1960s, but only gained popularity and common use recently.
The word was officially introduced to the Swedish dictionary in 2014. It is used both as a way to avoid a specific reference to gender in substitute of he or she, and as a way to refer to those who are non-binary.
The introduction of this word is a testament to the flexibility of language to fit the needs of certain levels of awareness. A study conducted in 2012 linked the use of grammatical gender systems to increased levels of gender inequality.
Countries like Finland (pictured) and Iceland hold gender-less languages. They also are among the most gender-equal societies. In contrast, countries with the highest levels of gender inequality, like Yemen, Chad, and Pakistan, speak gendered languages.
Critics argue that, although there may be a case for linguistic relativity in relation to gender, that there are more factors that hold greater weight when ranking countries.
For example, according to a ranking issued by Global Finance magazine, Finland and Iceland (pictured) are in the top 30 list of the richest countries in the world.
In contrast, Yemen, Chad, and Pakistan rank among the lowest, particularly with regard to wealth per adult (financial and non-financial assets).
Although there is a clear link between gendered language and our perceptions of certain things, perhaps even on how we see the world as a whole, there seem to be some limitations to the conclusions that we can draw.
For example, it seems evident that while inanimate objects may be perceived as more masculine or feminine depending on their gender assignment, the context in which the object is referenced may influence its perception in terms of gender.
Similarly, while some studies have argued that gender-neutral languages produce more gender-equal societies, there may be other factors that should be considered before arriving at such a fixed conclusion.
Sources: (Psychology of Language) (Psychonomic Bulletin & Review) (Global Finance)
Studies show that assigning gender to language may affect the views of those that speak that language. Some studies have even tied gender systems to issues of inequality. Indeed, there are some languages that are even moving toward the creation of gender-neutral language to address this issue.
Around the world, it seems evident that gender can shape people's beliefs and behavior. This fascinating dive into linguistic relativity offers interesting reflections into how what we say can greatly influence our mindset. Curious? Click through this gallery to learn more.
Linguistic relativity: Does a word's gender change how we think about it?
How words shape our thoughts
LIFESTYLE Language
Studies show that assigning gender to language may affect the views of those that speak that language. Some studies have even tied gender systems to issues of inequality. Indeed, there are some languages that are even moving toward the creation of gender-neutral language to address this issue.
Around the world, it seems evident that gender can shape people's beliefs and behavior. This fascinating dive into linguistic relativity offers interesting reflections into how what we say can greatly influence our mindset. Curious? Click through this gallery to learn more.