An Empirical Analysis of Cross Cultural Gender Inequity in FolkLinguistics: the Algerian versus English Proverbs and Sayings

Abstract

The study aims at examining gender inequity cross-culturally/linguistically in folk-linguistics. Precisely, it analyses the stereotypical assumptions about women in both Algerian and English proverbs and sayings. Mixed-methods research was employed in this study. First, it incorporates a quantitative method wherein a semi-structure questionnaire was intended to 60 respondents, who belong to different age groups from both sexes and have dissimilar academic/educational levels, in Tiaret Speech Community. It was meant mainly to probe their attitudes towards gender-biased language in folk-linguistics. Second, a qualitative content analysis of the collected proverbs from the last section of the questionnaire was used mainly to corroborate gender stereotyping cross-culturally/linguistically. The study concludes that women have been linguistically prejudiced as well cross-culturally mocked or underestimated via proverbs and sayings in folk-linguistics. Such linguistic practices have created gender inequity across cultures and affected women's positions in their societies in comparison to their males’ counterparts. The results of this study might open the curiosity of other researchers in the future in revealing whether proverbs and sayings have threatened or protected women's positions with regards to gender studies in modern linguistics.