Linguistic Gender Sensitivity Strategies in Current South African Intermediate Phase English Workbooks: Feminisation or Degenderisation?

Abstract

This study extends research on manifestations of gender insensitivity in learners' reading materials by shifting attention to the linguistic strategies that authors of current texts employ for the realisation of gender sensitivity. We analysed the content of 12 current (2014) English workbooks (Grade 4-6) used in South African government and public schools for gender sensitive strategies they employed. Most strategies sought to get round the problem caused by the lack of a singular third person gender neutral pronoun in the English Language. Although both feminisation and degenderisation strategies were apparent in the few strategies observed, we observe the difficulty of degenderising reading materials without radical reforms within the English language. We posit that the judicious combination of feminisation and degenderisation holds promise for gender sensitivity in texts.