It’s been monhs ago when we have tackled this lesson in our “English Proficiency Instruction I” class with Prof. Monje.The topic is about Sexism in the English Language which is based on the essay of Dr. Thelma Kintanar.
Why is that women are rendered invisible when we are referring to the general gender? There are several cases on which we can get simplified examples be it cliches or day-to-day conversations. For instance:
No man is an island.
The term “man” in the sentence obviously refers to both men and women. But to the miticulous eyes of English majors, this can signal inferiority to the women race. Also, the sentence gives a misleading impression whether it talks about man alone or both men and women.
In reality, women are treated unfairly not only in the field of language but also in other factors as well. Back in history, we learned that women are not given the same benefits that the state gives it male members. For example, only men can vote in the elections. Women are only treated as prorperties, which is a form of discrimination against them.
Sexism in the English language is only one of the many products brought to us by acculturation. The challenge to us, individuals, is to remedy this kind of problem in Modern English. Both genders must be given exactly the same respect. All along, we are one and the same because we are all created by God.
