Inclusive Language and Class Exclusion— Brigitte Vasallo

In her essay Lenguaje Inclusivo, Brigitte Vasallo critically addresses the problem of inclusive language, foregoing analyses centered on the "incorrectness of language" and placing the debate in the realm of political practice and the conditioning that affects subjectivities. From the androcentric view that permeates our societies, the masculine gender is taken as "universal" and all other concepts and categories are defined based on their relationship to it.

Starting from this context, Vasallo asks (and tries to answer): what does it mean to speak of inclusion in the linguistic field? Who is included (and who is not) in the discourse that speaks (and why)? Can inclusive language resolve the structural exclusion of language (which is, in turn, the materialization of other structural and structuring exclusions of subjectivities: social class, race/ethnicity, cultural capital, etc.) simply by using "a," "e," "x," "@," or any other symbol?

The author uses examples from pop culture and dialogues with numerous sources from sociology, semiotics, anthropology, postcolonial studies, and feminisms to articulate her argument: the search (and implementation) of a form of language that avoids gender discrimination in communication belongs to the universe of politics and cannot be resolved merely by modifying the gender of words or generating lists of identities that end up being inserted into hegemonic discourse. In contrast, Vasallo proposes the search for uses of language that "create noise" (e.g., reappropriation of words like "maricón" or "marimacho" by marginalized groups) to dismantle the power structures embodied in language and, at the same time, find new ways to name and re-signify beyond the margins to "give voice" to subaltern voices.

No. Pages: 200 / Dimensions: 14 x 21.5 cms

ISBN: 9786078851454