Essay about Women, Language, and Politics - 511 Words

Women, Language, and Politics nbsp; nbsp; Experts and nonexperts alike tend to see anything women do as evidence of powerlessness. The language of the media is replete with examples of how difficult it is for women to be regarded as beings with authority and power. The attitude follows women in power everywhere, but... nowhere is the conflict between femininity and authority more crucial than with women in politics. nbsp; The characteristics of a good man and a good candidate are the same, but a woman has to choose between coming across as a strong leader or a good woman. If a man appears forceful, logical, direct, masterful, or powerful, he enhances his value as a man. If a woman appears forceful, logical, direct,†¦show more content†¦Fainting conjures up a frail figure crumpling into a mans rescuing arms, maybe just for dramatic effect. Passing out suggests a straightforward fall to the floor. nbsp; An article in Newsweek during the 1984 vice presidential campaign quoted a Reagan aide who called Ferraro [Geraldine Ferraro- a 1984 vice presidential candidate] a nasty woman who would claw Ronald Reagans eyes out. Never mind the nastiness of the remark and of the newsmagazines using it to open its article. Applied to a man, nasty would be so tame as to seem harmless. Furthermore, men dont claw; they punch and sock, with correspondingly more forceful results. The verb claw both reflects and reinforces the stereotypical metaphor of women as cats. Each time someone uses an expression associated with this metaphor, it reinforces it, suggesting a general cattiness in womens character. nbsp; nbsp; In his book The Language of Politics, Michael Geis gives several examples of words used to describe that undercut her. One headline called her spunky and feisty. As Geis observes, spunky and feisty are used only for creatures that are small and lacking in real power; they could be said of a Pekingese but not a Great Dane, perhaps of Mickey Rooney but not of an average-size man. nbsp; Its not that journalists, other writers, or everyday speakers are deliberately, or even unintentionally, sexist in their use ofShow MoreRelatedThe Hidden And Gender Stereotypes Essay1016 Words   |  5 Pagesshould be performed by women and men. A gender stereotype is harmful and can lessen women when it limits their capacity to develop their personal abilities, chase their professional careers and make choices about their lives and life plans. The obvious biological form of men and women arise the challenge of the hidden language metaphors in science. 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