Language And Gender

When I read the section of Language and Gender, I was surprised what the other contributed about language and gender. For me, I am used to seeing language separated by two categories either masculine or feminine. As a Gender and Women's Studies major, I think that this area of cultural anthropology has really had me the most interested with regards how we determined language and gender.

I found this article titled Language, Gender and Feminism just to get a different perspective of how language and gender correlate. The article discussed how the male is in power within in society and in language and how women's language is seen as powerless and weak. I have this idea that language itself is powerful. The reason why some view language and women has powerless and weak due to the patriarchy of society and also by the marginalization of words.

I also think that language weak when it is silenced. Audre Lorde a famous black feminist once said this about language and silence. "I have come to believe over and over again that what is most important to me must be spoken, made verbal and shared, even at risk of having it bruised or misunderstood." Language is powerful- however, I also believe that language is socially constructed.

Anyone else want to contribute to this idea? I think there's a lot we can discuss with this?