Linguistic sexism and inclusive language in university education: theory and practice.

Abstract

Language is not only a means of communication, but also a powerful tool that shapes our perceptions and attitudes. Through language, gender roles and stereotypes are constructed and reinforced and that can limit people's personal and professional development. Since childhood, the expressions and terms we hear and use help shape our vision of the world and our place in it. For example, the use of masculine terms as universal generics (“man” to refer to humanity, “students” to refer to all students) excludes and devalues ​​women and people of non-binary genders. This not only reflects, but also perpetuates the idea that the masculine gender is the norm and feminine and other gender identities are exceptions. Once sexist language patterns are identified, we will try and promote the use of inclusive language as a way to encourage equality, participation and critical reflection on language and gender. Inclusive language seeks to avoid expressions that perpetuate gender stereotypes and, instead, uses neutral terms or words that make all genders equally visible. The main objective of this work is to raise students' awareness about the existence and implications of linguistic sexism, and at the same time, propose and teach various strategies to combat it through the use of more inclusive language. It is important to develop students' critical reflection on these issues and create a more equitable learning environment.