Silence, Alienation and Oppression: Feminist Models of Language (I)

Abstract

During the past two decades, as we have just noted, there has been widespread protest against what is seen as a constant and damaging misrepresentation of the world by sexist language. In that language women are portrayed as second class citizens, neither seen nor heard, eternal sex objects and personifications of evil. Within the perspective I have labelled ‘theoretical reformism’, our response as feminists is clear. We must expose the ‘falseness’ of this language and refuse to tolerate its continued use, providing where necessary a set of neutral and thus inoffensive alternatives.