Gender in Language

Reacting to an article http://www.breakingnews.ie/discover/if-we-gave-fathers-the-same-nonsensical-advice-we-give-working-mothers-700862.html I will be reacting to the article 'If we gave fathers the same nonsensical advice we give working mothers'. I came across this article link on the East Norfolk English Twitter page, it was originally published on 'Breaking News.ie' and was written by Ciara Flaherty. The main issues in the articles are the inequality of gender in our language. Within the article, a 'male account' has used the cliches usually placed on women, who have multiple responsibilities e.g. looking after children and going to work, however shifted the stereotype onto men who do the same. This included questioning their ability to perform at work, the housework needs doing before 'wife and children' wake up, and telling the men its their responsibility to take care of their appearance. 

The article interests me as it highlighted the gender codes of language within our speech. The issue of inequality in this article made me a laugh as it highlighted our patriarchal society and the irony behind the language in which we use. Would we question a man's performance at work based on if he has a child or not? I a man was feeling tired would we simply advise him to dress in his WOW clothing? Yet this is somehow acceptable if the genders are reversed. Personally the issue of gender inequality angers me. Stereotyping women in the work force is very unfair. Just because she has a child and other responsibilities should not limit her ability. This is shown in this article as it switches the stereotype onto men. This perceives the message as it is unusual for a man to be described using the words usually connoting to women. This includes being tired, having to do housework, keeping up an appearance, etc. Throughout English Language, we have learned many things through lexis, semantics, phonology, discourse, grammar. But the main aspect of English language which I have taken is the fact that language is power. And if power is determined by the way in which we speech or how others use English Language to describe you. Then it is clear that men are still superior within language. As it is unusual to use phrases shifted on to men. 

This article could also be seen as a form of upwards convergence, as the language being used it creating a larger social distance within the tweeter and the 'men' as the men do not resonate with the stereotypical behaviour, or thoughts and feelings of a 'woman'. A way forward from this article is to stop the stereotypical assumptions of a person and only judge them, within a workplace on their ability to work. No one should be judged on how many children they have, or if they should be doing housework. At employment your job is to work. And if that is possible why should anyone have the right to limit your possibilities? Regardless of your gender. I would like to find out about how language influences gender inequality within today's society and a society of the 1950's were men were predominately superior. I would like to see if how we use language to describe genders has became more equal over the years and how these changes have been made in regards to English Language.