‘A Woman’s Tongue’: Representations of Gender and Swearing in Australian Legal and Media Discourse

Methven, E

‘A Woman’s Tongue’: Representations of Gender and Swearing in Australian Legal and Media Discourse

Methven, E

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Publisher:: Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: The Australian Feminist Law Journal, 2020, 41, (1), pp. 1-25
Issue Date:: 2020-10-12

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Methven, E https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3428-3905
dc.date.accessioned	2020-10-15T07:06:03Z
dc.date.available	2020-10-15T07:06:03Z
dc.date.issued	2020-10-12
dc.identifier.citation	The Australian Feminist Law Journal, 2020, 41, (1), pp. 1-25
dc.identifier.issn	1320-0968
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/143267
dc.description.abstract	This article considers historical and contemporary representations of the relationship between gender and swearing in Australian obscene language trials. An examination of language ideologies articulated in media and legal discourse in nineteenth and early twentieth century Australia reveals how swearing by women was often depicted as unladylike, and swearing in the presence of women, considered undesirable. Commonly-articulated ideas about gender and swearing prevalent in this period have become naturalised over time, so that they form part of judicial ‘common sense’ in contemporary offensive language jurisprudence. In addition, the idea that swear words are especially offensive when uttered in the presence of women has functioned to legitimise the criminal punishment of swear words used by Indigenous women towards police. The article argues that there is a need to recognise the presence of gendered language ideologies in discourse, including the role they play in maintaining hierarchies and obscuring cultural differences.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
dc.relation.ispartof	The Australian Feminist Law Journal
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1080/13200968.2020.1820747
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess
dc.subject	1602 Criminology, 1801 Law, 2002 Cultural Studies
dc.title	‘A Woman’s Tongue’: Representations of Gender and Swearing in Australian Legal and Media Discourse
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	41
utslib.for	1602 Criminology
utslib.for	1801 Law
utslib.for	2002 Cultural Studies
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Law
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	true
dc.date.updated	2020-10-15T07:05:54Z
pubs.issue	1
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	41
utslib.citation.issue	1

Abstract:

This article considers historical and contemporary representations of the relationship between gender and swearing in Australian obscene language trials. An examination of language ideologies articulated in media and legal discourse in nineteenth and early twentieth century Australia reveals how swearing by women was often depicted as unladylike, and swearing in the presence of women, considered undesirable. Commonly-articulated ideas about gender and swearing prevalent in this period have become naturalised over time, so that they form part of judicial ‘common sense’ in contemporary offensive language jurisprudence. In addition, the idea that swear words are especially offensive when uttered in the presence of women has functioned to legitimise the criminal punishment of swear words used by Indigenous women towards police. The article argues that there is a need to recognise the presence of gendered language ideologies in discourse, including the role they play in maintaining hierarchies and obscuring cultural differences.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/143267