Frequency of singular they for gender stereotypes and the influence of the queer community
Presenter Title/Affiliation
University of Victoria
Start Date
23-5-2021 10:30 AM
Event Name
Panel discussion
Panel Number
21
Panel Chair Name
Adi Bharat
Zoom URL to Join
https://ciis.zoom.us/j/98982386618
Zoom Meeting ID
989 8238 6618
Abstract
Singular they has been denounced in formal grammars since the mid-18th century (see Bodine 1975; Paterson 2014), yet it dates to at least the 14th century (Balhorn 2004; Curzan 2003), persevering in both writing and speech (e.g., Baranowski 2002; Balhorn 2009; Newman 1992; Strahan 2008). Linguistic investigations of pronominal use suggest an envelope of variation (e.g., LaScotte 2016; Maryna 1978; Meyers 1990) in which speakers make choices based on a multiplicity of factors (e.g., gender stereotypicality, antecedent type). The role of LGBTQ+ community remains less examined. Do aspects of identity impact an individual’s choice of pronoun for singular generic nouns (e.g., a student), and is that dependent on the referent’s perceived gender?
A 2018 survey garnered responses across Canada and the United States from 623 participants (289 LGBTQ+, 196 “queer-adjacent”, 131 non LGBTQ+, and 7 no response). The stimuli consisted of six filler questions interspersed among three targets (mechanic, secretary, student). LaScotte’s (2016) open-ended student question was replicated, and Martyna’s (1978) fill-in-the-blank style was modelled for mechanic and secretary—nouns with perceived gender stereotypes (masculine and feminine respectively; Haines, Deaux, & Lofaro 2016). Finally, participants rated occupations on a sliding scale for perception of role performance (masculine to feminine, with gender neutral at the midpoint). Quantifying the frequency of third-person pronouns across all occupations resulted in 2249 tokens split between they (n=1712), he (n=269), she (n=189), and he/she (n=78).
Overall, singular they prevails. But, its patterns of use are not parallel. Mechanic and secretary remain gendered (he and she respectively), whereas student is gender-neutral (they). These results are reflected by the ratings: mechanic skews masculine, secretary skews feminine, and student remains neutral. Across all occupations, non-LGBTQ+ participants use singular they the least frequently, followed by queer-adjacent participants, and then LGBTQ+ participants. Non-binary participants use singular they at the highest rate amongst the LGBTQ+ participants (i.e., more frequently than LGBTQ+ men and women). Additionally, participation in events has an impact: singular they is used more by those who attend LGBTQ+ events. Thus, this study provides empirical evidence about the multifaceted interactions of identity and network, as well as uncovering persistent gender biases.
Presenter Contact
atloughl@gmail.com
Frequency of singular they for gender stereotypes and the influence of the queer community
Singular they has been denounced in formal grammars since the mid-18th century (see Bodine 1975; Paterson 2014), yet it dates to at least the 14th century (Balhorn 2004; Curzan 2003), persevering in both writing and speech (e.g., Baranowski 2002; Balhorn 2009; Newman 1992; Strahan 2008). Linguistic investigations of pronominal use suggest an envelope of variation (e.g., LaScotte 2016; Maryna 1978; Meyers 1990) in which speakers make choices based on a multiplicity of factors (e.g., gender stereotypicality, antecedent type). The role of LGBTQ+ community remains less examined. Do aspects of identity impact an individual’s choice of pronoun for singular generic nouns (e.g., a student), and is that dependent on the referent’s perceived gender?
A 2018 survey garnered responses across Canada and the United States from 623 participants (289 LGBTQ+, 196 “queer-adjacent”, 131 non LGBTQ+, and 7 no response). The stimuli consisted of six filler questions interspersed among three targets (mechanic, secretary, student). LaScotte’s (2016) open-ended student question was replicated, and Martyna’s (1978) fill-in-the-blank style was modelled for mechanic and secretary—nouns with perceived gender stereotypes (masculine and feminine respectively; Haines, Deaux, & Lofaro 2016). Finally, participants rated occupations on a sliding scale for perception of role performance (masculine to feminine, with gender neutral at the midpoint). Quantifying the frequency of third-person pronouns across all occupations resulted in 2249 tokens split between they (n=1712), he (n=269), she (n=189), and he/she (n=78).
Overall, singular they prevails. But, its patterns of use are not parallel. Mechanic and secretary remain gendered (he and she respectively), whereas student is gender-neutral (they). These results are reflected by the ratings: mechanic skews masculine, secretary skews feminine, and student remains neutral. Across all occupations, non-LGBTQ+ participants use singular they the least frequently, followed by queer-adjacent participants, and then LGBTQ+ participants. Non-binary participants use singular they at the highest rate amongst the LGBTQ+ participants (i.e., more frequently than LGBTQ+ men and women). Additionally, participation in events has an impact: singular they is used more by those who attend LGBTQ+ events. Thus, this study provides empirical evidence about the multifaceted interactions of identity and network, as well as uncovering persistent gender biases.
https://digitalcommons.ciis.edu/lavlang/2021/sunday/3
