Sexist language in the workplace

Sexist Language

From calling a woman "Honey" to laughing condescendingly, sexist communications in the workplace creates a harmful and antagonistic environment. Language can be used to empower or to intimidate no matter what the setting. In the workplace especially, a level of dignity and professionalism should be expected. However, gender-biased and sexist language continues to be ignored or even tolerated. One of the most recent trends in workplace communications is a focus on the overtly sexist language while ignoring the more subtle and sometimes sinister manifestations of chauvinism. Sexist language is usually covert, and is often accompanied by nonverbal cues including tones of voice and body language.

Gendered language in the workplace can sometimes be characterized by condescension. Condescension may be embedded into the way a person vocalizes their comments. Sexist attitudes may also be noticeable in what a person chooses to say or to refrain from saying. For example, a group of males in the workplace might tell jokes with each other in private and suddenly be quiet when a woman walks into the room. Her presence does not need to disturb their conversation and yet they view her as a hindrance to their freedom of expression. Similarly, a man will speak differently with a woman than with a male friend such as by using more formal diction as if the woman is too delicate to hear slang.

The most overt manifestation of sexism in the workplace is with harassment behaviors and language. Harassment is usually defined in the company's codes of ethics or in the legal codes of the state or country. However, a large majority of sexist communications cannot be defined as harassment. Some of the most insidious sexism in the workplace is that which cannot be challenged on legal grounds. Instead, female workers endure small, slight affronts to dignity and personal power. The entrenchment of male dominance in the workplace is such that sexist language is not even recognizable by some women.

Talking down to a female coworker is like speaking to a child. The tone of voice and language used is filled with kindness and therefore seems innocent. Yet speaking to a coworker like a child is not an innocent act. The method of communication is degrading and assumes that the female is a less advanced human being, a person that needs to be coddled and cared for like a baby. Because women have been taught to expect and accept such tones of voice in daily communications, they might ignore or be ignorant of sexist language.