Where Is She? Gender Occurrences in Online Grammar Guides
Nicole Amare
This article examines seven online grammar guides for instances of linguistic sexism. The grammar sentences from .edu Websites were analyzed based on NCTE’s “Guidelines for Gender-Fair Use of Language” (2002) using the criteria of generic he and man; titles, labels, and names; gender stereotypes; order of mention (firstness); and ratio of male to female. Of the 3,220 sentences analyzed, 3,020 occurrences of gendered language were found and were analyzed based on gender-fair language criteria. All seven university-affiliated websites contained some occurrences of linguistic sexism; generic “he” and “man” were less of a problem than firstness and male-to female ratio.1 Although the raw numbers reveal that the overall instances of linguistic sexism were relatively rare, it is interesting to note the ways in which linguistic sexism persisted in these grammar exercises. Implications of linguistic sexism for users of online academic texts are highlighted. Because sexist language was present in these online grammar guides, writing teachers are encouraged to discuss with their students and with each other why linguistic sexism may occur in such sites and what we can do to prevent—and eliminate—linguistic sexism more effectively in our own texts and lives, particularly with regard to gender stereotypes, firstness, and male-to-female ratios.
Volume 42, Number 2, November 2007
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