APPRECIATING THE STRUGGLE OF WOMEN THROUGH LANGUAGE USE: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL INQUIRY

A Research Outline Presented to DR. ANNIE RODRIGUEZ Professor The University of the Immaculate Conception Davao City

In Partial Fulfillment of the requirements in Sociolinguistics

Ariel E. San Jose October 2010

Table of Contents Page No. Introduction . Background Research Interests Theoretical Underpinings Significance of the Study. Dilimitations Definition of Terms . Schematic Route Study Design Research Integrity Locale of the Study . Research Participants .. Participants Selection . Research Instruments .. Research Process . Data Analysis ..

INTRODUCTION Background
"Long afterward, Oedipus, old and blinded, walked the roads. He smelled a familiar smell. It was the Sphinx. Oedipus said, "I want to ask you one question. Why didn't I recognize my mother?" "You gave the wrong answer," said the Sphinx. "But that was what made everything possible," said Oedipus. "No," she said. "When I asked, What walks on four legs in the morning, two at noon, and three in the evening, you answered, Man. You didn't say anything about woman." "When you say Man," said Oedipus, "you include women too. Everyone knows that." She said, "Thats what you think."" Myth by Muriel Rukeyser

Every language reflects and thereby shapes the prejudices of society in which it evolved. The English language which is historically evolved in all-white, Anglo-Saxon, patriarchal society, frequently reflects attitudes that exclude or degrade minorities and women it assumes that the male is the norm, the significant gender. A language which promotes and maintains attitudes that stereotype people according to gender is sexist language; on the other hand, nonsexist language treats all people equally and either does not refer to a persons sex at all when it is irrelevant or refers to men and women in symmetrical ways when their gender is relevant (Yanilla-Aquino, 2006). Yanilla-Aquino (2006) citing Furman discussed that in a world defined by man, the trouble with woman is that she is at once an object of desire and an object of exchange, valued on the one hand as a person in her own right, and on the other considered simply as a relational sign between men. At the intersection of two

incompatible systems, woman appears as the embodiment of impossible duality, the locus of an opposition. Levi-Strausss contention that woman is both a person and a sign, a human being and depersonalized, subjectless structure, clearly indicates that the discussion of womans relationship to language of woman and/in language will take different paths according to whether woman is understood as being a person or a sign. Sexism in language is a much-talked-about socio-political issue today. The issue is one that invites almost everyones attention, particularly women who most of the times are the victims of sexist language. Professional organizations, periodical publications and feminist activists, grimly aware of this phenomenon, launch their awareness campaign to make people more sensible in using language as a social and political tool of communication (A Brief on Language Sexism, 2010). In this day and age, one of the most rewarding and perhaps the most unexpected side effects of breaking away from traditional sexist pattern of the English language is dramatic improvement in writing and speaking style. Due to necessary changes brought about by womens continuing struggle for equality and recognition of their changing roles and status in society, the continued use of sexist words and phrases, whether in written or oral form, is now frowned upon especially by individuals who are critically conscious and aware of the issues of gender bias which confront women. People are beginning to realize that non-sexist language is more than a token gesture of goodwill to feminist; it is a matter of accurate communication because when we use nonsexist language we are doing two things: 1) we ensure that the language reflects reality and 2)

we ensure that any shaping done by the language us bias-free (Yanilla-Aquino, etc. al 2006). Henley (2001) suggested that students must receive adequate instruction on avoiding sexist language, particularly in textbooks intended to help students develop and refine their language skills. Although the full impact of prescriptive "he" remains to be explored, effects on attitudes related to achievement motivation, perseverance, and level of aspiration seem likely. McArthur and Eisen (cited by Henley, 1983) found that stories about male vs. female protagonists performing certain activities influenced the achievement motivation (desire to excel in these activities) of male vs. female children... Prescriptive "he" could have similar effects on a much larger scale and may even contribute to the fact that before attending school, boys aspire to traditionally male occupations and girls aspire to traditionally female occupations. The researcher strongly believed that the preceding discussions showed that the issue on language sexism is something that merits serious attention and research. As an English teacher, the researcher believes that educators have the mandate to be the transformers of the learners minds; the builders of attitudes and an epitome of being a good citizen. The researcher is interested to find out how language teachers promote the image of women through the use of language in their classrooms.

Purpose of the Study Language is constantly changing, hence, it is dynamic. Its constant changing reflects the nature of society. As we are moving towards equality in all areas of life, it is important that our language facilitate and reflect this change. The purpose of this inquiry is not only to gain cognition on the promotion of the image of women through language but also to draw attention to the sexist nature of language. Hence, providing suggestions on ways in which we can change the language. Research Interests This study is interested to determine the following: 1. What are the sexist languages encountered by the study-participants?
2. How do the study-participants accept these sexist languages? 3. What are the concrete actions undertaken by the study-participant to reveal the

struggle of women? Theoretical Underpinning This inquiry is anchored on the Feminist Language Theory which emerged as early as 1792. Feminist linguists argued that female uses of language differ from male; that the difference may stem from essential biological differences between the sexes; that the differences may stem from women's different inscription in culture (Shaffer, 2010).

In addition, this study is supported by the Feminist Philosophy of Language by Jennifer Saul (2010). She said that much of feminist philosophy of language so far can be described as criticalcritical either of language itself or of philosophy of language, and calling for change on the basis of these criticisms. Those making these criticisms suggest that the changes are needed for the sake of feminist goals either to better allow for feminist work to be done or, more frequently, to bring an end to certain key ways that women are disadvantaged. My focus in this entry will generally be on the analytic tradition. In her approach, she presented the feminist approaches to the intersection of pragmatism and continental philosophy, namely; A) Language under which are; false gender-neutrality; invisibility of women; maleness as norm; sex-marking; encoding of male worldview; reform effort: success and limitations; maleness of language; and metaphor. B) Philosophy of Language which includes the feminist worries about philosophy of language and feminist use of philosophy of language. Significance of the Study The outcome of the study is significant to the various individuals and organizations or institutions, mainly: The administrators of the University of the University of the Immaculate Conception, in terms of obtaining pertinent pieces of information regarding the condition of women in todays society, this study will provide them deeper understanding of womens aspirations

Moreover, administrators could gain insights as they formulate and implement programs for the empowerment of women through language use. The teachers of the University of the Immaculate Conception. As symbols of learning; a leader of learning and a miracle of education, the output of this research will be able to uplift their cognition on the struggle of women. The result may strengthen or reconstruct and widen their viewpoint and standpoint as to why man women aspire for recognition and equality even in language. Further, the result of this study may be incorporated to the study notes of Sociology and Philosophy subjects. Hence, it will give additional insights to the learner on the importance of giving equal footing to both sexes in the use of language. The students and student organizations of the University of the Immaculate Conception, in terms of obtaining credible grounds in examining and clarifying the situation of women in linguistics, this research would lead and guide them to better understand the flight of women even in language. Delimitations The study is restricted and focused only to the language and literature teachers of the University of the Immaculate Conception of the main and annex campuses. This study does not include the Filipino teachers. The study-participants are composed of 3 male and 7 female teachers.

Definitions of Terms

The following terms are defined operationally: Valuing Process. This refers to internal course of action in mans self. This involves his aspirations, ideals, including the reasons of believing the worth of his values and how he puts these values into action to be meaning and profitable. Appreciating the Struggle. This refers to the understanding the effort made by a group particularly the women in their quest for language equality. Women. This term refers to the group of people bounded by one ideal to be of equal opportunity if not standing not only in the society but also in language. Phenomenology. This kind of research belongs to the qualitative research traditions. This type of research describes the "lived experience" of the study participants under study.

SCHEMATIC ROUTE This chapter describes how this research will be undertaken. This explains the validity and reliability of the study shaped and fostered by scientific and logical processes. Included are the research design, locale of the study, research participants and informants, research instrument, research procedure, and data analysis diagram which is illustrated and pointed explicitly. Study Design This study is qualitative in nature. Qualitative research is used to gain insight into people's attitudes, behaviors, value systems, concerns, motivations, aspirations, culture or lifestyles. Its used to inform policy formation, communication and research. Focus groups and in-depth interviews are among the many formal approaches that will be used. Further but qualitative research also involves the analysis of any unstructured material, including customer feedback forms, reports or media clips (QSR International, 2010). Moreover, this research will make use of the Hermeneutic Understanding. Willis (2007) in his book Foundation of Qualitative Research: Interpretative and Critical Approaches said that the purpose of hermeneutic research is to understand the perspectives of humans. And because understanding is situational, hermeneutic research tends to look at the details of the context in which the study occurred. The result is generally rich data reports that include multiple perspectives. Hermeneutic theories are more like fuzzy, tentative explanations that ebb and flow, merge and diverge, as research progresses.

This study will also make use of the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach developed by Professor Jonathan Smith (2009) of Birkbeck University, London. This approach is an experiential qualitative approach to research in psychology and the human and social sciences. This approach is a relatively recent qualitative approach developed specifically within psychology. IPA is concerned with trying to understand lived experience and with how participants themselves make sense of their experiences. Therefore, it is centrally concerned with the meanings which those experiences hold for the participants. Moreover, IPA is phenomenological in that it wishes to explore an individuals personal perception or account of an event or state as opposed to attempting to produce an objective record of the event or state itself. Thus, one important theoretical touchstone for IPA is phenomenology, which originated with Husserl's attempts to construct a philosophical science of consciousness. At the same time, while trying to get close to the participant's personal world, IPA considers that one cannot do this directly or completely. Access is dependent on the researchers own conceptions which are required to make sense of that other personal world through a process of interpretative activity. A second important theoretical current for IPA is, therefore, hermeneutics- the theory of interpretation. Consonant with its theoretical commitment, IPA employs qualitative methodology. Most IPA work has been conducted using in-depth interviews which enable the participant to provide a full, rich account and allow the researcher considerable flexibility in probing interesting areas which emerge.

Interviews are audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and subjected to detailed qualitative analysis - attempting to elicit the key experiential themes in the participants talk. This study also adapted Cuisons (2010) four approaches in gathering the information needed. These four approaches are community immersion and integration, document analysis, interview with the language coordinator of the University of the Immaculate Conception, and focus group discussion activities with the identified study participants.

Research Integrity According to the Association AVP for Research Boston College (2008) research integrity is a concept that cannot be fully defined by a short, simple phrase. It cited a recent national report which asserts that for the individual researcher it "embodies above all the individual's commitment to intellectual honesty and personal responsibility. It is an aspect of moral character and experience. For an institution, it is a commitment to creating an environment that promotes responsible conduct by embracing standards of excellence, trustworthiness, and lawfulness . . ." Research integrity includes the traditional ideals of honesty, fairness, and compliance with research guidelines and policies, as well as the goal of integrating one's work as a researcher with one's broader life experience and values. With the above expressions, the researcher should follow the principles required to obtain a positively oriented set of practical suggestions for maintaining integrity of

research. These instructions are written in the Guidelines for Responsible Conduct of Research (2007) which is the meticulous record-keeping practice which provides an accurate contemporaneous account of observations that become a permanent reference for the researcher should be observed. An accurate record also serves others who may want to replicate the observation or to apply a method to other situations. In addition, it is an aid in allowing the eventual sharing of information with others and as documentation that might disprove any subsequent allegation of fabrication or falsification of data. Secondly, all data should be recorded contemporaneously with the production or observation of the data. If some data are obtained as printouts from instruments or computers, these printouts should be appropriately labeled and pasted into the notebook or, if pasting is not possible, stored securely and referenced in the notebook as to storage location. Thirdly, research in social sciences and in some clinical biomedical fields poses specific problems with respect to the availability of primary data for use by other researchers or by reviewers of allegations of possible scientific misconduct. The protection of human subjects requires that data be used, stored, and disclosed in a way that insures the privacy of individual research subjects. Furthermore, while for purposes of analysis these data are frequently coded and entered into computer files with only code numbers identifying the individual subjects, there is often an interest of the researcher in reviewing the coding procedures in order to identify either random or systematic mis-entry of data into files. To satisfy these guidelines fully, the primary data - clinical or laboratory records, questionnaires, tapes of interviews, and field notes - should be available for review. Finally, research integrity requires not only that reported

conclusions are based on accurately recorded data or observations but that all relevant observations are reported. It is considered a breach of research integrity to fail to report data that contradict or merely fail to support the reported conclusions, including the purposeful withholding of information about confounding factors. If some data should be disregarded for a stated reason, confirmed by an approved statistical test for neglecting outliers, the reason should be stated in the published accounts. A large background of negative results must be reported. Any reckless disregard for the truth in reporting observations may be considered to be an act of research misconduct. Locale of the Study This study will be conducted at the two campuses of the University of the Immaculate Conception Fr. Selga Street main campus and Bonifacio Street annex campus.

Fig. 3 The Map of Davao City Research Participants/Informants The participants of this study are the language and literature teachers of the University of the Immaculate Conception. The participants are composed of 3 males and

7 females teachers. The study participants do not include the part-time language and literature teachers.

Participants Selection Process The participants or informants of this study are purposively selected on the basis of their capacity to provide important information needed in this inquiry aside from they are language and literature teachers. Research Instrument In order to assist appropriate process of illustrating out information, a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and in-depth interview guide questions are constructed. These questions correspond to and substantiate the objectives and queries formulated in this study. Furthermore, the guide questions are self-constructed, open-ended and focused on main topic of the research. Research Procedure This study will undergo the following procedures in collecting and interpreting data. These include the leveling-off on concept and research procedure and planning, securing consent from the different offices of the university. Authorities concerned such as the coordinator of the language and literature is included in the assembly of all FGD informants, actual workshop and interview with the participants. Furthermore, analyzing data, drafting conclusions and recommendations, and administering forum presenting the research output will be observed.

Data Analysis Data analysis follows the process of phenomenological inquiry which is to use an emergent strategy to permit the method of analysis to follow the nature of the data itself. The data from observed reality, from the drawn out information and narratives will be treated differently. However, in all cases, the main objective is on an understanding of the meaning of the description. According to Janet Waters (2010), to get at the essential meaning of the experience, a common approach is to abstract out the themes. These are essential aspects "without which the experience would not have been the same". In a narrative, consider aspects such as the physical surroundings, the objects, the characters or aspects of the characters (e.g. their relationship), the social interactions between the different characters (or groups), the type of activity, the outcome, the descriptive elements, or the time reference. If the narrative would keep its essential meaning even when several of these aspects are changed, then those aspects are not part of the essential theme. Only those elements that can't be changed without losing the meaning of the narrative contribute to the theme. Analyzed data are put together as shown in the figure below, and the rising themes.

Interview with Key Informant s

Communit y Integratio n

Appreciating the Struggle of Women through Language Use

Focus Group Discussio n

Data Analysis

Fig. 4. Approaches in Drawing out and Analyzing Data

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