Believe it or not, language is old. People have been talking to one another for quite some time now. There are a lot of weird, colloquial uses of language that trip up many language-learners. Unfortunately, there is also a lot of language that is not very kind to women.
Consider some of the words we use to say someone had sex. Pounded. Nailed. Hit. (As in "I'd hit that.") They're all violent terms often used to describe a man having sex with a woman.
Consider, also, the way that women are referred to. "I'd hit that." Not her, or that person. Just "that." Or the phrase "I'd tap that a**." There's something uncomfortable about hearing men use language like this. Maybe it's the complete lack of respect for the person they're talking about. Or maybe it's the reduction of women to sexual objects. (Spoiler alert: it's both.)
Of course, slang synonyms for the word woman are also questionable. Chick or broad - they carry an air of objectification. However, the words themselves don't come off as inherently sexist, so perhaps the words can be saved. More and more women are using the term "chicks," somewhat lessening the associated stigma.
And then there's the language associated with marriage. The old ball and chain? Guess what, she's a person you willingly married. Of course, the saying comes from a time when divorce wasn't as socially acceptable. Nowadays if someone felt like that, the first stop is usually divorce. I guess now, with less social pressure to marry young and stay married, people are less likely to find themselves married to someone they'd call a ball and chain or a nag. But the idea still seems crazy to me. And it's far too closely related to the idea of women as the ones seeking commitment, and men avoiding it. Now that feels almost like an immature stance to take. Not to mention the studies that came out recently finding that married men tend to be happier. (Although I'm not providing a source, so I guess take that with a grain of salt.)
There are countless examples in other languages as well. For languages with gendered nouns, for example, a group of people is usually considered male unless it's all female. Even if there's only one guy, they're still referred to in the male gender.
It's ridiculous to expect language to change just because our values have. But there's a theory going around about how languages shape society, so that a language with simpler words for numbers and arithmetic makes it easier to learn math. This sort of thing is hard to prove, but if it's true, then that makes sexism embedded in language all the more sinister. It's a cycle of negative reinforcement, with society and language bringing each other down.
Of course, things have gotten better for women. Society is becoming less sexist, not more, and the increasing unpopularity of previously sexist slang is a sign that our language is indeed changing in response.
I'm certainly hopeful about the future of gender equality. Yes, there is plenty of sexist language hanging around, but people are becoming more aware of the problem as well. While there may be no quick solution coming up on the horizon any time soon, I remain confident that, with time, society will progress past the patriarchal mess it is today.
Anastasia Korolov is freshman who has not declared a major. She can be reached at Anastasia.Trombly@tufts.edu.
