英语语言中的性别歧视现象与演变研究-以《读者文摘》为例_英语论文

Gender Discrimination in English Language and Its Evolution: the Reader's Digest

摘要

每种语言都是社会现象的反映和复写，它既是历史的产物，也是研究社会文化的载体和基石。在英语中，性别歧视语分布广泛，它不仅出现在社会生活的各方面，也影响到了语言的发展和使用。因此，对其的研究不只利于揭露语言使用者的价值观念，更能以点带面的反映出社会文化、社会现实、民族思考模式的更迭，还有助于帮助人们正确认识两性差异，引导人们得体地使用英语，进而构建一个有序和谐的发展模式，也会促进社会效率的提升与发展。

本文运用定量、定性、对比、历时等研究方法，对《读者文摘》中2007年至2016年的300篇文章进行了内容、语用形式的分析与归纳，研究的内容包括：英语中非歧视语是否正在影响英语语用；英语中是否仍存在着深层顽固的歧视语。作者意图总结出当今英语中歧视语的演变及发展模式，借此了解、概括女权解放运动对言语变革的影响，从而知晓性别歧视语在现代社会是否已呈明显削弱倾向。

从本论文的研究结果来看，所收集的语料可以验证，虽然《读者文摘》中仍留有残余歧视语，然而实际去歧视化趋势已非常明显，这也反映在了日常语用中，《读者文摘》中关于男女的叙述、描绘和出现频率已更加地均匀、平等。

基于以上剖析，本文对英语教学提出如下提议：英语教师需了解并告知学生现代英语中不断进行的改革和创新，使学生重塑价值观，形成正确的男女同权意识。这样一来，不仅能更新、扭转大众持有的偏见观念，更能社会风气、制度变革产生强力、积极的反作用。

关键词：性别歧视语；非歧视语趋势；历时研究

Abstract

Language is a reflection and facsimile of social phenomena, it is a product of history, and also the carrier and footstone of social cultures during the process of research. In English, the distribution of sexist language is widespread, not only in all aspect of social life, but in the development and usage of language. Therefore, by using the minority to bring about the majority, the research of it is not only conducive to know values of language users, but reflects the social culture, reality, and the change of national thinking mode. Furthermore, it also helps people to understand gender differences, guiding people to use English decently, and thus building a development patterns that everybody is harmonious and ordered, which will promote the development and enhancement of social efficiency. 

This paper employs quantitative, qualitative, comparative, diachronic and other research methods, conducts a scientific analysis and induction in regard to the content and pragmatic form of 300 articles selected in the Reader's Digest from 2007 to 2016. Research content includes: whether non-discrimination words in English is influencing pragmatic use; whether there still exists deeply entrenched sexist language. Through the analysis, the authors intents to summarized today's evolution and developmental trend, to see and understand influences on language reform after feminist emancipation movement since the 1960s, thereby uncovering whether sexist language is showing an obvious tendency of weakening in Reader's Digest over the decade. 

Based on the research results of this thesis, although selected corpus verifies that sexist words in English still exists in Reader's Digest, however, the usage of non-sexist words in contemporary English has dramatically increased, this is also reflected in the daily pragmatics. The overall descriptions, portrayals, and frequencies for men and women are drawing more uniform and equal in the Reader's Digest.

Based on the above analysis, this thesis puts forward following proposals for ESL education: English teachers should comprehend and inform students those continuous reforms and innovations, following that, this will lead students to reshape their values, form the correct consciousness with men and women entitled to same rights. As a result, not only can it update and reverse the age-old misunderstandings people hold, but generates a strong, positive counterreaction on social ethos, institutional reform. 

Keywords: Sexist language, Non-sexist trend, Diachronic study

Contents

摘 要 III

Abstract IV

Acknowledgements V

Chapter One  Introduction 1

1.1 Research background 1

1.2 Significance of the research 2

1.3 Structure of the thesis 3

Chapter Two  Literature Review 5

2.1 Studies at abroad 5

2.2 Studies at home 7

2.3 Summary 8

Chapter Three  Methodology 9

3.1 Relationship between social and language change 9

3.2 Data collection 10

3.3 Research questions 11

3.4 Research procedures 11

3.4.1 Quantitative method via Antconc 11

3.4.2 Procedures of analysis 12

Chapter Four  Result Analysis 13

4.1 An analysis of non-sexist trend in English 13

4.1.1 Overall frequencies of men and women as pronouns 13

4.1.2 Overall frequencies of women and men as protagonists 14

4.1.3 Overall frequencies of occupational titles for both genders 16

4.2 An analysis of long-standing sexist items in English 20

4.2.1 The study of alternatives of “he/him/man” 21

4.2.2 A study of the man-suffixed and person-suffixed items on occupations 23

4.2.3 A study of word order between men/women and women/men 26

4.2.4 A study of addressing titles like “Ms./Miss/Mrs.” 29

Chapter Five  Conclusion 33

5.1 General discussions of the findings 33

5.2 Implications of the study 35

5.3 Limitations and suggestions for further study 36

References 37