1 of 56
Term
Semantic Polarization
Definition: Emphasize the internal psychological processes triggered by early
childhood experiences with one's body and interpersonal interactions with primary
caregivers
Examples: Being raised by heterosexual parents vs gay or lesbian parents
Significance: Childhood experiences play an important role in gender identity
Definition: When two terms ought to represent parallel concepts, but one term is
derogatory while the other is not.
Examples: Bachelor (degree and spinster)
Signification: Important to notice that in language there are multiple meanings
, Definition: When two parallel concepts are treated as though they were
opposed.
Examples: Opposite sexes
Significance: Structures a perception of the world that we find problematic.
Language reentrenches the notion that there are two and only two things that
the characteristics of one cannot be possessed by the other
Definition: The use of masculine pronouns and nouns to refer to all people.
Example: Says "hey guys" to a group of people that has females in it
Significance: Male-based generics are another indicator of a system in which man in
the abstract and men in the flesh are privileged over women
2 of 56
Term
He/man Language
Definition: The linguistic practice in which you reject a term's existing meaning's
normative power, expose how the term's meaning was constructed, and attempt to
change its connotation.
Examples: SlutWalk
Signification: Has both connotated and denotated meaning to it and is important to
note both of those things in language
Definition: The use of masculine pronouns and nouns to refer to all people.
Example: Says "hey guys" to a group of people that has females in it
Significance: Male-based generics are another indicator of a system in which
man in the abstract and men in the flesh are privileged over women
, Definition: When two terms ought to represent parallel concepts, but one term is
derogatory while the other is not.
Examples: Bachelor (degree and spinster)
Signification: Important to notice that in language there are multiple meanings
Definition: When two parallel concepts are treated as though they were opposed.
Examples: Opposite sexes
Significance: Structures a perception of the world that we find problematic.
Language reentrenches the notion that there are two and only two things that the
characteristics of one cannot be possessed by the other
3 of 56
Term
Social Reality
Definition: How people see themselves, and how others see them, as individuals
and as members of groups. Includes concepts such as personality.
Examples: Gender, sex, ethnicity, class, sexuality, nationality, friend, lover, student,
daughter.
Significance: It is constantly negotiated through intrapersonal communication with
oneself, interpersonal communication with others, and public communication
circulating in mass media and popular culture.
, Definition: Reality as understood through the symbols humans use to
represent it.
Examples: Although a material world from which human beings receive
sensory data exists, people do not know how to interact with that world until
their sensory data is given meaning through symbolic action.
Significance: Communication is more than a means to transmit information.
When people communicate, they participate in the construction of social
reality.
Definition: To make visible the multiple ways in which people and cultures
consciously and unconsciously maintain rigid norms of binary, heteronormative, and
cisnormative gender performance.
Examples: Hairstyles and clothing are still binary
Significance: Common things are intertwined with gender expectations that it is
sometimes difficult to see that they are socially constructed and do not have to be
that way.
Definition: Posits gender is a learned behavior, learned by observing, analyzing,
and modeling others.
Examples: Children observe other children and that shapes their gender identity
Significance: It is important to understand that people's gender/sex identities has
many factors that go into that
4 of 56
Definition
Definition: When someone combines an indicator of a person's sex (or
face, or other identity ingredient) with a noun in some cases, but not
all.
Examples: Male nurse and nurse, black professor and professor
Significance: It is important to understand that there are stereotypes
Term
Semantic Polarization
Definition: Emphasize the internal psychological processes triggered by early
childhood experiences with one's body and interpersonal interactions with primary
caregivers
Examples: Being raised by heterosexual parents vs gay or lesbian parents
Significance: Childhood experiences play an important role in gender identity
Definition: When two terms ought to represent parallel concepts, but one term is
derogatory while the other is not.
Examples: Bachelor (degree and spinster)
Signification: Important to notice that in language there are multiple meanings
, Definition: When two parallel concepts are treated as though they were
opposed.
Examples: Opposite sexes
Significance: Structures a perception of the world that we find problematic.
Language reentrenches the notion that there are two and only two things that
the characteristics of one cannot be possessed by the other
Definition: The use of masculine pronouns and nouns to refer to all people.
Example: Says "hey guys" to a group of people that has females in it
Significance: Male-based generics are another indicator of a system in which man in
the abstract and men in the flesh are privileged over women
2 of 56
Term
He/man Language
Definition: The linguistic practice in which you reject a term's existing meaning's
normative power, expose how the term's meaning was constructed, and attempt to
change its connotation.
Examples: SlutWalk
Signification: Has both connotated and denotated meaning to it and is important to
note both of those things in language
Definition: The use of masculine pronouns and nouns to refer to all people.
Example: Says "hey guys" to a group of people that has females in it
Significance: Male-based generics are another indicator of a system in which
man in the abstract and men in the flesh are privileged over women
, Definition: When two terms ought to represent parallel concepts, but one term is
derogatory while the other is not.
Examples: Bachelor (degree and spinster)
Signification: Important to notice that in language there are multiple meanings
Definition: When two parallel concepts are treated as though they were opposed.
Examples: Opposite sexes
Significance: Structures a perception of the world that we find problematic.
Language reentrenches the notion that there are two and only two things that the
characteristics of one cannot be possessed by the other
3 of 56
Term
Social Reality
Definition: How people see themselves, and how others see them, as individuals
and as members of groups. Includes concepts such as personality.
Examples: Gender, sex, ethnicity, class, sexuality, nationality, friend, lover, student,
daughter.
Significance: It is constantly negotiated through intrapersonal communication with
oneself, interpersonal communication with others, and public communication
circulating in mass media and popular culture.
, Definition: Reality as understood through the symbols humans use to
represent it.
Examples: Although a material world from which human beings receive
sensory data exists, people do not know how to interact with that world until
their sensory data is given meaning through symbolic action.
Significance: Communication is more than a means to transmit information.
When people communicate, they participate in the construction of social
reality.
Definition: To make visible the multiple ways in which people and cultures
consciously and unconsciously maintain rigid norms of binary, heteronormative, and
cisnormative gender performance.
Examples: Hairstyles and clothing are still binary
Significance: Common things are intertwined with gender expectations that it is
sometimes difficult to see that they are socially constructed and do not have to be
that way.
Definition: Posits gender is a learned behavior, learned by observing, analyzing,
and modeling others.
Examples: Children observe other children and that shapes their gender identity
Significance: It is important to understand that people's gender/sex identities has
many factors that go into that
4 of 56
Definition
Definition: When someone combines an indicator of a person's sex (or
face, or other identity ingredient) with a noun in some cases, but not
all.
Examples: Male nurse and nurse, black professor and professor
Significance: It is important to understand that there are stereotypes
