Izvorni znanstveni članak

https://doi.org/10.22210/suvlin.2018.086.05

Gender–fair nouns in academic German. From early feminist proposals for gender–fair language to their implementation in scientific abstracts.

Christine Ivanov ; Leibniz Universität Hannover
Maria B. Lange ; Leibniz Universität Hannover
Tabea Tiemeyer orcid.org/0000-0002-4293-3576 ; Medizinische Hochschule Hannover

Sažetak

In this contribution, we investigate the mechanisms which the German language uses to refer to
persons, in particular the forms of gender–sensitive text production found in current academic German. We
analyse the abstracts of two conferences held in September 2017 to shed light on the actual use of written
language and scrutinize the manner in which the linguisticmeans available to refer to persons are currently
employed. Th e abstracts are taken from two conferences with Austrian, German, and Swiss participants.
One of the conferences could be expected to have an explicit interest in gender–fair language, the other
not. Our contribution is structured as follows: After briefly summarising the salient facts of feminist
language politics in Germany since the end of the 1970s we characterise the increasing number of written
guidelines for gender–fair language resulting from these policies from 1980 onwards. Th ese guidelines are
important instruments for the dissemination of both the linguistic analyses and the political stipulations
of feminist movements. After this we provide an overview of the most relevant linguistic means to refer to
persons in the German language to create a backdrop for our text analyses. Individual suggestions are then
discussed on how to refer to persons in a gender–fair manner, particularly with regard to their applicability
to scientific texts. Following this, we present the results of some relevant studies on gender–fair language
and cognition. Th e final analysis of references to persons, as found in recent conference abstracts, are used
to return to the question of if, at all (or if so: how), gender–fair language can be used adequately in scientific
texts. Not only do we fi nd that gender–fair language has changed diachronically over the last forty years, but
we can also show how speakers’ attitudes and motivations can influence the synchronic use of gender–fair
language. By using examples found in the abstracts analysed we can demonstrate that gender–fair language
creates clear and unambiguous references while avoiding gender stereotypes. Accordingly, we conclude
that gender–fair language is not – as has been repeatedly claimed during the past decades – polemic and
cumbersome, but instead lends itself as a precise tool for scientific text production, when it is used to refer
in an exact and unambiguous manner to its referential objects

Ključne riječi

gender–fair language; personal nouns; standard German; scientific language; feminist linguistics

Hrčak ID:

214247

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/214247

Datum izdavanja:

29.12.2018.

Podaci na drugim jezicima: hrvatski njemački

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