The Interplay of Language and Gender in Dominant Discourses: Examining the Masculine Bias in Language

Abstract

Numerous studies have critiqued the stereotypical and essentialist assumptions inculcated by cultural artefacts and texts through the lens of feminism, poststructuralism, sociology, and linguistics. Notwithstanding the attempts to establish gender equality and inclusivity in contemporary times, the present study examines how language spreads and supports masculine biases through various dominant and popular discourses of society. The study considers the omnipresence of language in society and observes that language tends to legitimise the behaviour and preferences of men as dominant while objectifying or trivialising those of women. Taking a cue from Robin Lakoff’s deficit and dominant approaches, the paper chooses instances and examples from various discourses to study how language nourishes patriarchal attitudes and naturalises the domination of men over women. Though Lakoff’s perspectives came four decades ago, an overview of the present scenario reveals the contemporaneity of her observations in studying the masculine bias in language.