Publication Date
Spring 4-2-2025
Presentation Length
15 minutes
College
College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
Department
English, Department of
Student Level
Undergraduate
SPARK Category
Scholarship
Faculty Advisor
Maggie Monteverde
WELL Core Type
Intellectual Wellness
SPARK Session
1. 9am 2. Interdisciplinary
Presentation Type
Talk/Oral
Summary
Both language and gender are social constructs which we humans have created to produce an order to the world, and this essay illustrates the ways in which language influences both our perceptions of gender and the world of people who subvert so-called natural gender norms. Because gender, unlike sex, is a social construct to which we ascribe particular images and words, language can affect not only the identity of the person in question but also their relationships, careers, and societal attitudes toward gender. Ursula Le Guin, in her 1969 science fiction novel The Left Hand of Darkness, deconstructs our earthly notions of gender by positioning the reader alongside Genley in a genderless world. Her depiction of a biological sex from the viewpoint of a bisexual (in the Gethenian sense) pushes the reader to seek understanding and communication rather than retreating into the shell of their own misconceptions. This work expands upon Le Guin’s deconstruction of gender by looking at our own world and the languages which influence these earthly notions of gender. Everything from our gendering of nouns to the presence of gender pronouns can influence gender prejudice both in our subconscious and in the workplace. While these conversations are integral to expanding upon the ways language affects our worldview, the gender non-binary groups which often exist separate from these groups are similarly affected. Le Guin’s theories of wholeness and unity thanks to a common origin can be attributed to language as well: our languages were once one and developed differently by different peoples in the same way that each organism (Terrans, Gethenians, etc.) evolved in different environments. While wholeness and unity on a societal level is a rather utopian concept, individuals can use language to provide wholeness to the individual by recognizing their identity, story, and preferences. With a linguistic focus on the individual, we can work toward a more empathetic and welcoming world for the whole society
Recommended Citation
Coulthard, William K., "He Said, She Said: Deconstructing Gender in Our Own World through Our Own Languages" (2025). SPARK Symposium Presentations. 31.
https://repository.belmont.edu/spark_presentations/31
Included in
Other English Language and Literature Commons, Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons
