Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

“Es verdad hay q matarlas a todas": Online discourse surrounding “e” as gender-neutral morpheme in Spanish

Abstract Details

2020, Master of Arts in English, Youngstown State University, Department of Languages.
The gender-neutral 'e' morpheme in Spanish emerged in Latin America in 2018 (e.g.,inSpanish, the gender-neutral form for sibling would be hermane, instead of hermano [brother] or hermana [sister]). Users claim that the `e' is more inclusive towards gender nonconforming individuals and resolves what some see as the androcentric use of the default masculine `o’ morpheme (e.g., hermanos to refer to a group of siblings regardless of their gender identities). As popular media (i.e. social media and news media) has seen robust debate over the legitimacy of the 'e', it offers new opportunities to explore what is being said in these spaces, including why gender-inclusive language is so contentious and how broader social discourses may influence social media users’ positions on the `e'. To explore these questions, this thesis utilized critical discourse analysis (CDA; Van Dijk, 2004) and Van Leeuwen’s (2007) legitimation theories to analyze the first 12 months of comments from a popular YouTube video explaining the `e’ morpheme. In total, 1405 comments were downloaded and analyzed thematically. Findings demonstrated that commenters draw upon a number of larger social discourses in order to criticize the use of the `e’ morpheme. Despite many commenters’ argument that gender is static, commenters’ tended to actively negotiate gender in their own comments. Moreover, the data revealed several shared ways in which commenters took up positions against the `e,’ in particular: gaslighting, social consolidation, and threats of violence.
Nicole Pettitt, PhD (Advisor)
Jennifer Behney, PhD (Committee Member)
Gina Villamizar, PhD (Committee Member)
64 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Davis, I. (2020). “Es verdad hay q matarlas a todas": Online discourse surrounding “e” as gender-neutral morpheme in Spanish [Master's thesis, Youngstown State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1589564406694545

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Davis, Isabella. “Es verdad hay q matarlas a todas": Online discourse surrounding “e” as gender-neutral morpheme in Spanish. 2020. Youngstown State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1589564406694545.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Davis, Isabella. "“Es verdad hay q matarlas a todas": Online discourse surrounding “e” as gender-neutral morpheme in Spanish." Master's thesis, Youngstown State University, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ysu1589564406694545

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)