Sexism: A Study by Alleen Pace Nilsen
Alleen Pace Nilsen wrote this after a very blatant set of sexist experiences in Afghanistan. Causing her to decide to study out sexism when she got home, and what better way to study it except through the English language.
Throughout her study, she found many interesting points that she summed up using three simple titles: “Women Are Sexy; Men Are Successful”, “Women Are Passive; Men Are Active”, “Women are Connected with Negative Connotations; Men with Positive Connotations” (Nilsen 160, 163,166). She then illustrates her points using words of the English language, taking a dictionary as her main source and guide, to show just how many assumptions we make because of a person’s gender. In the end she does say that some of these sexist words are being replaced and she is glad that is so, but she would like to see more of this change.
I was neither in full agreement or full disagreement with Nilsen. I found some of her observations to be spot-on and some to be over analytic or simply viewed through the wrong lenses. In other words: Yes, there are sexist Connotations and injustices in the English language. However, not everything that draws a distinguished line between the sexes is actually sexist, and sometimes sexism can be confused with a simple respect for gender.
Nilsen started with “Women are Sexy; Men Are Successful”, therefore, I will start with it as well. In general this was one of the sections I actually mostly agreed with her views. Nonetheless, she almost killed her title with her first paragraph, by saying, “… in American culture a women is valued for the attractiveness and sexiness of her body, while a man is valued for his physical strength and accomplishments.” (Nilsen 160). This, to me, is a slight contradiction to what she is trying to say. By saying that “… a man is valued for his physical strength…” she is basically saying men are considered “sexy” too, just in a different way. When I saw this, it annoyed me. Yet, her observations and
Throughout her study, she found many interesting points that she summed up using three simple titles: “Women Are Sexy; Men Are Successful”, “Women Are Passive; Men Are Active”, “Women are Connected with Negative Connotations; Men with Positive Connotations” (Nilsen 160, 163,166). She then illustrates her points using words of the English language, taking a dictionary as her main source and guide, to show just how many assumptions we make because of a person’s gender. In the end she does say that some of these sexist words are being replaced and she is glad that is so, but she would like to see more of this change.
I was neither in full agreement or full disagreement with Nilsen. I found some of her observations to be spot-on and some to be over analytic or simply viewed through the wrong lenses. In other words: Yes, there are sexist Connotations and injustices in the English language. However, not everything that draws a distinguished line between the sexes is actually sexist, and sometimes sexism can be confused with a simple respect for gender.
Nilsen started with “Women are Sexy; Men Are Successful”, therefore, I will start with it as well. In general this was one of the sections I actually mostly agreed with her views. Nonetheless, she almost killed her title with her first paragraph, by saying, “… in American culture a women is valued for the attractiveness and sexiness of her body, while a man is valued for his physical strength and accomplishments.” (Nilsen 160). This, to me, is a slight contradiction to what she is trying to say. By saying that “… a man is valued for his physical strength…” she is basically saying men are considered “sexy” too, just in a different way. When I saw this, it annoyed me. Yet, her observations and