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WMST-L File Collection:

Language

Last updated: Sept. 4, 2010

The following files from the WMST-L file collection focus on issues concerning language:

Can "Guys" Refer to Women and Girls?
(WMST-L discussion about whether the term "guys" can/should be used to refer to women and girls. April 2002. 2 parts. See also the March 2005 discussion, Is the Term "Guys" Gender Neutral?)

Critiques of John Gray's Mars/Venus Theory
(A request for critiques of the theories underlying John Gray's book Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus gave rise to a 2007 WMST-L discussion; a shorter discussion of Gray took place two years later. This file contains messages from both.)

Feminists Who Reject the Feminist Label
(WMST-L, October 1993)

Feminists Who Reject the Feminist Label II
(WMST-L, September 2008)

The Fluidity of Sex, Sexuality, and Gender
(This lengthy WMST-L discussion began in July 2001 with a query about a term for women who dress up as transvestites. After some consideration of terms (several involving "drag"), the topic evolved into a discussion about social construction and the fluidity of sex, sexuality, and gender. Additional messages from 2001-2003 have been added at the end of the file. 5 parts.)

Gender-Inclusive Language
(July 1995 discussion; 2 parts)

Gender-Inclusive Language and "Man"
(September 2000 and January 2002 discussion; 3 parts)

Guardian of Language: An Interview with Hélène Cixous
(A 1996 interview with French feminist literary critic and philosopher Hélène Cixous, conducted by WMST-L member Kathleen O'Grady. Another WMST-L file of possible interest: Making "French feminism" Accessible to Undergraduates.)

Is the Term "Guys" Gender Neutral?
(A WMST-L discussion in March 2005 that asks whether the term "guys" is or can be gender neutral. See also a similar discussion that took place in April 2002: Can "Guys" Refer to Women and Girls?)

Language and Gender Exercises
(Suggestions for language and gender exercises suitable for an intro class. WMST-L discussion, May 2008.)

The Language of Feminist Theory
(Is there justification for feminists to use the sometimes inaccessible language of high theory? A WMST-L discussion that took place in March 1993.)

Making "French feminism" Accessible to Undergraduates
(Suggested works by or about Irigaray, Cixous, and Kristeva that would help make these and other "French feminist" writers accessible to undergraduates. There is also some discussion about the term "French feminism." WMST-L discussion, October 2008. Another WMST-L file of possible interest: Guardian of Language: An Interview with Hélène Cixous.)

Marianismo: Origin and Meaning
(WMST-L discussion of the origin and meaning of the term "Marianismo." January 2000.)

"The Master's Tools...."
(A discussion of Audre Lorde's often-quoted statement, "The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house." WMST-L, September 2008.)

Origin(s) of "Rule of Thumb"
(Various explanations for the origin of the phrase "rule of thumb." WMST-L, 1993-2005)

Patriarchy: Use of the Term
(Discussions from May 1994 and March 2003. See also the later file Teaching About Patriarchy)

'The Personal is Political': Origins of the Phrase
(Various suggestions appearing on WMST-L from 1996 through 2007 about the origins of the phrase "the personal is political")

'Problematize' and Academic Discourse
(Discussion of the meaning of "problematize" and the use of words like this in academic discourse. It took place on WMST-L in February/March 2000)

Pronoun Usage, Identity, and Privilege
(WMST-L discussion, September 1999)

Rape Culture?
(A 4-part discussion of the term "rape culture"--what it means, where it originated, whether it's an appropriate term. The discussion took place on WMST-L in March 2000.)

The Rhetoric of Gender: Course Suggestions
(Some suggested resources for a course on the rhetoric of gender. WMST-L, August 2008.)

"Sex" versus "Gender"
(A 2-part file containing discussions of these often-confused terms from 1993 and 1997)

"Sex" versus "Gender" Revisited
(Further discussion of the terms "sex" and "gender," including their meaning(s) and some reasons that people often confuse these terms. WMST-L discussion, September/October 2006.)

Teaching Language and Gender Issues to Teens
(WMST-L discussion, January 1997)

Use of the Term "Dyke"
(This WMST-L discussion on the meaning and use of the term "dyke" took place in February 2005.)

Women's Speeches for Rhetorical Analysis
(Recommendations for women's speeches that can be used by students for rhetorical analysis. WMST-L discussion, August 2002.)

Women, Womyn, Wimmin
(Brief discussion of "womyn" and "wimmin" as alternative spellings of "women." WMST-L, September 2000)


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