著者

和泉 悠

出版者

日本哲学会

雑誌

哲学 (ISSN:03873358)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.2018, no.69, pp.32-43, 2018-04-01 (Released:2018-08-01)

参考文献数

16

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This paper examines the semantics of Japanese generic sentences that involve reference to gender stereotypes and considers how they possibly contribute to the presence and perpetuation of sexual harassment. The main strategy of the paper is, first, to uncover the possible ways in which sentences that contain the explicit deontic modal expression in Japanese beki (roughly corresponding to ought) contribute to the cases of hostile environment sexual harassment, and second, to compare the explicitly modal sentences and generic sentences that contain no explicit modal in order to show that the latter also express modal, normatively laden contents. As a standard theory of deontic modality, I apply Angelika Kratzer’s analysis of ought to Japanese sentences containing beki. For the sake of concrete illustration, I also introduce Asher and Morreau’s (1995) analysis of generics and extend it to Japanese examples. The comparison shows that, insofar as the uses of explicitly normative sentences such as “All women ought to wear a skirt” contribute to hostile environment harassment, implicitly normative sentences such as “Women wear a skirt” make a similar, if not equal, contribution to the legitimization of gender-specific norms. The paper concludes with the suggestion that we pay more attention to generic sentences with gender-specific terms, and that we use explicit quantifiers and singular terms more often than not to avoid ambiguity and possible inadvertent consequences.

著者

和泉 悠

出版者

日本倫理学会

雑誌

倫理学年報 (ISSN:24344699)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.72, pp.129-142, 2023 (Released:2023-07-24)

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Pejorative language, such as slurs and name-calling, has varying social implications depending on the context of use. One and the same expression can seriously denigrate an individual in one context, while signaling a sense of camaraderie in another. This article offers an account of the duality of pejorative language, according to which pejorative language use virtually “downgrades” or “ranks low” individuals who are supposed to have equal social standing. Section 2 introduces a standard analysis of gradable adjectives, which are often used in name-calling. The standard analysis allows comparisons among individuals by assigning values to them. Since people are hierarchically ordered via linguistic value assignments, resulting orders or rankings can be considered virtual products. Section 3 introduces the concept of ranks as proposed by Jeremey Waldron(2012). According to Waldron, every individual has equal social standing and is not inherently superior or inferior to others. Everyone is on the highest rank, which guarantees protection from abuse. Sometimes, however, people disregard the equal standing of others, and by blatantly abusing them, they indicate that some people are not worthy of equal respect, i.e., they are “downgraded” or “ranked low.” Section 4 explains how a use of a pejorative expression sometimes but not always downgrades individuals. In some contexts, people verbally abuse others by using pejorative expressions including gradable adjectives. A use of a pejorative expression, if nothing intervenes, updates the common ground of a conversation in such a way that the targeted individual is unworthy of equal respect. As long as this piece of information is retained in the common ground, the use effectively manages to “downgrade” or “rank low” the targeted individual. In other contexts, a use of a pejorative expression fails to “downgrade” an individual because there is a gap between merely updating a common ground and really treating others as lower-ranked individuals.

著者

和泉 悠

出版者

宣伝会議

雑誌

Top promotions販促会議

巻号頁・発行日

no.257, pp.59-63, 2019-09

著者

和泉 悠

出版者

日本哲学会

雑誌

哲学 (ISSN:03873358)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.2018, no.69, pp.32-43, 2018

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<p>This paper examines the semantics of Japanese generic sentences that involvereference to gender stereotypes and considers how they possibly contribute to thepresence and perpetuation of sexual harassment. The main strategy of the paper is,first, to uncover the possible ways in which sentences that contain the explicit deonticmodal expression in Japanese beki (roughly corresponding to ought) contributeto the cases of hostile environment sexual harassment, and second, to compare theexplicitly modal sentences and generic sentences that contain no explicit modal inorder to show that the latter also express modal, normatively laden contents. As astandard theory of deontic modality, I apply Angelika Kratzer's analysis of ought toJapanese sentences containing beki. For the sake of concrete illustration, I also introduceAsher and Morreau's (1995) analysis of generics and extend it to Japanese examples.The comparison shows that, insofar as the uses of explicitly normative sentencessuch as "All women ought to wear a skirt" contribute to hostile environmentharassment, implicitly normative sentences such as "Women wear a skirt" make asimilar, if not equal, contribution to the legitimization of gender-specific norms. Thepaper concludes with the suggestion that we pay more attention to generic sentenceswith gender-specific terms, and that we use explicit quantifiers and singularterms more often than not to avoid ambiguity and possible inadvertent consequences.</p>