Work

When There is No He/She: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Genderless Language Use and Its Impact on Gender Ideology

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study examines the relationship between the gender status of spoken languages and attitudes toward gender equality. Studies show that gendered languages subconsciously contribute to a masculine–feminine dichotomy, favoring men, while genderless languages minimize the reinforcement of gender stereotypes. Using data from the World Value Survey Wave 7, we analyzed if speaking a genderless language at home and living in a predominantly genderless-language-speaking country is associated with gender ideologies across four subcultural groups. Ordered logistic regression results show that genderless languages have mixed relationships with gender ideology. Whereas the use and exposure to genderless languages most significantly increase the odds of opposing domestic violence in Orthodox Europe, West, and South Asia, and the African Islamic subgroups, genderless language has the highest positive association with support for income equality in marriage in Latin America. Our findings highlight the relationship between genderless languages and gender ideology, particularly as the importance of gendered pronouns gains visibility.

Source: Journal of Language and Social Psychology

DOI: 10.1177/0261927x251326200

Authors: Megumi Tanabe, Lily Tun, Nasim Vaseiezadeh, Imge Dogan

Institutions: Texas A&M University, University of Washington

Language: English

Topic: Gender Studies in Language

Subfield: Gender Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Gender equality, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,650