Μαριάνθη Γεωργαλίδου & Σοφία Λαμπροπούλου: Γραμματικό γένος και γλωσσικός σεξισμός στα έγγραφα της ελληνικής δημόσιας διοίκησης

This study investigates the predominant use of the masculine grammatical gender in a corpus of Greek public documents. Drawing upon studies in the second and third wave of feminism calling for a social and localised model of sexism (Mills 2008: 4), we conduct a local analysis that explores the pragmatic force of overt sexism in the context of the Greek gender system. In particular, we examine the formation and use of the so called “professional” nouns, by means of which public administration addresses and/or refers to mixed groups of stakeholders. We address the wider social norms that influence their use in local contexts and contribute to discriminatory representations via fossilised forms of sexism in public discourse. Our findings confirm the construction of a male dominated world in the public sphere through the absence of female forms, which, in turn, renders women invisible. We argue that the consistent preference of male exclusive forms on the part of authors results in inconsistency in the use of grammar. We call for a dissociation of standardness/prestige from male-exclusive forms, especially since female forms do exist and are equally grammatical, as this ideological understanding of gender seems to perpetuate institutionalised sexism.