On Sexism in English and Chines 英语专业毕业论文.doc

On Sexism in English and Chinese Chapter 1 Introduction Our language is inextricably bound up with our humanity. To be human is to use language and to talk is to be a person. Language use, and the words which are introduced into a language, reflect the views and values of society. In a word, Language is influenced by society and vice versa. As the history shows, sexism exists for quite a few years all over the world in almost every aspect, including the usage of languages. However, language cannot be sexist in itself, which can reflect sexist attitudes. In another word, the sexism in language stands for the fact that women are constantly exploited as sex objects. 1.1 the Role of Men and Women Since the last century, feminism has been popular all over the world. Women are fighting for their status in the society. But in fact, due to the culture that the physical characteristics of women in our society assume greater importance than those of men, no matter how equal, women are always secondary to men. Men are supposed to be tough, highly sexual, in charge and in control while women are supposed to be obedient and inferior. In the history of western countries, the role of women is limited before the modern age. Very few women enjoyed freedom to seek education or any kind of training. It is said that the freedom of women was restricted in some extended families. In China, it is especially obvious that woman seems to be “the second sex” through the whole history. For centuries before the early 1900s, there was a prominent male domination in the country of China. Women were deprived of all rights and were present mainly to serve men. Women served as slaves, concubines, and prostitutes. Marriages were arranged, sometimes preparing a female from infancy to serve her future husband, and a woman’s status is even lower than her son’s. As a result of economic independence, both husband and wife have a role to play and start living on equal terms.? At the same time tr