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Abstract：In this paper，by the means of taking a deep dive into some facts and fictions，a cross-cultural analysis on language gender bias issue in different cultural ethos will attempt to be given with a Sino-American comparison.Hopefully，it can work as a reference under intercultural circumstances and help with dealing cross-cultural misunderstanding caused by high/low context.
Key Words：language gender bias；feminism，cross-cultural perspective；Sino-American comparison；high/low context
Introduction
Gender bias remains one of the most frequently referred-to topics in the 21st century，having been raised to an unprecedented status recently as an increasingly growing number of celebrities call for girl power in public.Moreover，civilians worldwide have shown their support，confusion and in some cases disapproval of how to back up for girls simultaneously towards this issue on and off line.Out of a thousand varieties of gender discrimination，language gender bias stands out and is discussed in detail in the following paragraphs due to its popularity.
1.Prevalent Gender Bias Despite Cultural Background
Gender bias has been such a touchy issue that even genetic studies of women’s incapacity to control their own body have been called off due to the rage of feminists.
It’s tough to measure and pinpoint exactly where or when gender stereotype prevails most.
1.1Sexism’s Existence Proven after Simulating Social Experiment in Yale
In a real-world setting，the fact is that a man is usually selected for hire over a woman；fewer women reach higher positions；there’s a gender gap in publications.Bias may be suspected in some cases，but the difficulty in using outcomes to prove it is that the differences could be due to many potential factors.We can speculate：perhaps women are less interested in the field.Perhaps women make lifestyle choices that lead them away from leadership positions.
However，in a groundbreaking study published in PNAS last week by Corinne Moss-Racusin and colleagues，the research from Yale was to have scientists presented with application materials from a student applying for a lab manager position and who intended to go on to graduate school.In order to keep the experiment randomized and under control，two identical human beings – identical in intelligence，competence，lifestyle，goals，etc.– with the one difference between them that one is a man and one is a woman were chosen.
[1]Quite notably，half the scientists were given the application with a male name attached，and half were given the exact same application with a female name attached.Results found that the “female” applicants were rated significantly lower than the “males” in competence，hire ability，and whether the scientist would be willing to mentor the student. Hence，it’s safe to say that study found when absolutely all other factors were held equal，females were discriminated against in science.Sexism does exist.
1.2 Gender Bias in America and China
In the east，more specifically，in China，the typical blueprint for women would be to cultivate children and endure domestic life.Although some distinctive women like Mu Lan and Dou E in Chinese history were remembered who symbolize the strong image of female，they are not the majority.More often，women are traditionally characterized to be obedient and supposed to follow whatever males say.This preference and assumption of weakness and delicacy being considered as beauty has been even carried on to these days.
In America，nevertheless，feminists go all the way back.In 1960，the world of American women was limited in almost every respect，from family life to the workplace.A woman was expected to follow one path：to marry in her early 20s，start a family quickly，and devote her life to homemaking.Wives bore the full load of housekeeping and child care，spending an average of 55 hours a week on domestic chores.They were legally subject to their husbands via "head and master laws，" and they had no legal right to any of their husbands' earnings or property，aside from a limited right to "proper support"；husbands，however，would control their wives' property and earnings.If the marriage deteriorated，divorce was difficult to obtain，as "no-fault" divorce was not an option，forcing women to prove wrongdoing on the part of their husbands in order to get divorced.
The feminist movements of the 1960s and 70s in America have achieved great success.It originally focused on dismantling workplace inequality，such as denial of access to better jobs and salary inequity，via anti-discrimination laws.At the same time in history，the public in China were still trying to have some limited understanding about gender bias and feminism due to the culture shock brought by western dwellers.
2.Language Gender Bias in Chinese and American English Language
Gender-Biased language includes expressions that demean or exclude people because of age or sex，either presented orally or in written form.In both Chinese and American English language，it’s not hard to find examples of lexis and collocations that can be easily labelled as sexism.
2.1 Examples Showing that English Language Is Biased in and of Itself
Language is not only a tool to express ourselves and communicate with others，but also a reflection of the societal realities and the cultures.Therefore，like other factors in our society，sexism has also exerted influences during the development of language.There are words in the English language that are existing or have existed（some of them have changed with the new wave of “political correctness” coming about）that have inherently been sexually biased against women.Moreover，generally，more words in English are used to describe males than females.More of these words are positive for men，while more often having negative connotations for women. In the first case，for instance，the person who investigates reported complaints（as from consumers or students），reports findings，and helps to achieve fair and impartial settlements is ombudsman（Merriam-Webster Dictionary），but ombudsperson at Indiana State University.[2]This is a typical example of the gender bias that exists in the English language.
In the latter one，the language is arranged so that men are identified with leading positions，and women are identified with more service-oriented positions in which they are being dominated and instructed by men.So the language used to convey this type of male supremacy is generally reflecting the honored position of the male and the obedience of the female.Even in relationships，the male in the home is often referred to as the “man of the house，” even if it is a 4-year-old child.It is highly insulting to say that a 4-year-old male，based solely on his gender，is more qualified and capable of conducting the business and affairs of the home than his possibly well-educated，highly intellectual mother.There is a definite disparity in that situation.[3]
2.2 Comparison between Chinese Language and American English Language
in A Cross-cultural Point of View.
Just as American English，a lot of vocabulary and phrases exist in Chinese that emphasis masculinity over felinity and so does a set of name-calling system in favor of man due to a historical background of man-centered society for hundreds of years.However，there are some Chinese words and phrases that are perfectly acceptable are considered gender-biased for English-speaking people in the United States.
3.1 Applying High/low Context Method to the Four-word Idiom Hongxiutianxiang
According to Edward Hall，he distinguishes among cultures on the basis of the role of context in communication.In high-context culture，most of the information is in the physical context or is internalized in the people who are a part of the interaction.Very little information is actually coded in the verbal message.In low-context cultures，such as German and American，however，most of the information is contained in the verbal message，and very little is embedded in the context or within the participants.[4]
Hongxiutianxiang，a traditional Chinese four-word idiom adopted from ancient Chinese poem，as in describing a quite aesthetic and poetic scenario that a fair lady in red helps with adding some scent while her lover is reading，is criticized by American for being sexism.Word for word，the literal meaning is the girl in red helps with making some fragrance and it gradually evolves into an iterative image in Chinese literature.It is supposed to be connected with beauty and symbolizes romantic love story.After the first look，it seems that its sign of putting female subjected to male contradicts with feminism in America.As a matter of fact，that is not the exact truth.In the case of Hongxiutianxiang，due to Chinese language featuring high context，it is so generalized and visualized that it can only be understood with certain level of proficiency in Chinese socio-culture and reading nonverbal cues.As English speakers，they rely much on literal meaning and employ linear logic more. 3.2 High/low Context Theory Regarding Buzz Words
Another case on point concerning high/low context is that some popular Internet words in China having the meaning that girls just have to be pretty all day and spend money from their husbands are also categorized as slightly sexism.As a matter of fact，rather than that，this buzz word actually is based on the prerequisite that there is a responsible husband in the family.It’s not like their husbands would require their spouses to do so.In this situation，American say no directly and they value more about individual girl power than the crucial role of female in an organically-functioning family.
Conclusion
Language is a very powerful element.It is the most common method of communication.Yet it is often misunderstood and misinterpreted，for language is a very complicated mechanism.There are times when in conversation with another individual，that we must take into account that the person’s cultural background.Without prudent use，it is also the most effective weapon of destruction.Although there are biases that exist in the English language，there have been considerable changes toward recognizing these biases and making the necessary changes formally so that they will be implemented socially.More importantly，a cross-cultural perspective is supposed to be applied in order to avoid biased writing in multicultural context and not sound inappropriate or even rude.
References：
[1] Moss-Racusina，Corinne A.Dovidiob，John F.Brescollc，Victoria L.Grahama，Mark J.and Jo Handelsmana.Science faculty’s subtle gender biases favor male students[J].Chicago：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America，2013：23-30.
[2] Zheng，Lingping.Jounrnal of Ningbo Radio & TV University [N].Ningbo：Ningbo Radio & TV University Press，2004：5-6.
[3] Zheng，Lingping.Jounrnal of Ningbo Radio & TV University [N].Ningbo：Ningbo Radio & TV University Press，2004：10-11.
[4] Dou，Weilin.Intercultural Business Communication[M].Beijing：Higher Education Press，2011：61-62.
作者簡介
姜俊鹏（1999-），男，汉族，安徽铜陵人，安徽财经大学文学院，2015级本科生，商务英语专业。
（作者单位：安徽财经大学文学院）
Key Words：language gender bias；feminism，cross-cultural perspective；Sino-American comparison；high/low context
Introduction
Gender bias remains one of the most frequently referred-to topics in the 21st century，having been raised to an unprecedented status recently as an increasingly growing number of celebrities call for girl power in public.Moreover，civilians worldwide have shown their support，confusion and in some cases disapproval of how to back up for girls simultaneously towards this issue on and off line.Out of a thousand varieties of gender discrimination，language gender bias stands out and is discussed in detail in the following paragraphs due to its popularity.
1.Prevalent Gender Bias Despite Cultural Background
Gender bias has been such a touchy issue that even genetic studies of women’s incapacity to control their own body have been called off due to the rage of feminists.
It’s tough to measure and pinpoint exactly where or when gender stereotype prevails most.
1.1Sexism’s Existence Proven after Simulating Social Experiment in Yale
In a real-world setting，the fact is that a man is usually selected for hire over a woman；fewer women reach higher positions；there’s a gender gap in publications.Bias may be suspected in some cases，but the difficulty in using outcomes to prove it is that the differences could be due to many potential factors.We can speculate：perhaps women are less interested in the field.Perhaps women make lifestyle choices that lead them away from leadership positions.
However，in a groundbreaking study published in PNAS last week by Corinne Moss-Racusin and colleagues，the research from Yale was to have scientists presented with application materials from a student applying for a lab manager position and who intended to go on to graduate school.In order to keep the experiment randomized and under control，two identical human beings – identical in intelligence，competence，lifestyle，goals，etc.– with the one difference between them that one is a man and one is a woman were chosen.
[1]Quite notably，half the scientists were given the application with a male name attached，and half were given the exact same application with a female name attached.Results found that the “female” applicants were rated significantly lower than the “males” in competence，hire ability，and whether the scientist would be willing to mentor the student. Hence，it’s safe to say that study found when absolutely all other factors were held equal，females were discriminated against in science.Sexism does exist.
1.2 Gender Bias in America and China
In the east，more specifically，in China，the typical blueprint for women would be to cultivate children and endure domestic life.Although some distinctive women like Mu Lan and Dou E in Chinese history were remembered who symbolize the strong image of female，they are not the majority.More often，women are traditionally characterized to be obedient and supposed to follow whatever males say.This preference and assumption of weakness and delicacy being considered as beauty has been even carried on to these days.
In America，nevertheless，feminists go all the way back.In 1960，the world of American women was limited in almost every respect，from family life to the workplace.A woman was expected to follow one path：to marry in her early 20s，start a family quickly，and devote her life to homemaking.Wives bore the full load of housekeeping and child care，spending an average of 55 hours a week on domestic chores.They were legally subject to their husbands via "head and master laws，" and they had no legal right to any of their husbands' earnings or property，aside from a limited right to "proper support"；husbands，however，would control their wives' property and earnings.If the marriage deteriorated，divorce was difficult to obtain，as "no-fault" divorce was not an option，forcing women to prove wrongdoing on the part of their husbands in order to get divorced.
The feminist movements of the 1960s and 70s in America have achieved great success.It originally focused on dismantling workplace inequality，such as denial of access to better jobs and salary inequity，via anti-discrimination laws.At the same time in history，the public in China were still trying to have some limited understanding about gender bias and feminism due to the culture shock brought by western dwellers.
2.Language Gender Bias in Chinese and American English Language
Gender-Biased language includes expressions that demean or exclude people because of age or sex，either presented orally or in written form.In both Chinese and American English language，it’s not hard to find examples of lexis and collocations that can be easily labelled as sexism.
2.1 Examples Showing that English Language Is Biased in and of Itself
Language is not only a tool to express ourselves and communicate with others，but also a reflection of the societal realities and the cultures.Therefore，like other factors in our society，sexism has also exerted influences during the development of language.There are words in the English language that are existing or have existed（some of them have changed with the new wave of “political correctness” coming about）that have inherently been sexually biased against women.Moreover，generally，more words in English are used to describe males than females.More of these words are positive for men，while more often having negative connotations for women. In the first case，for instance，the person who investigates reported complaints（as from consumers or students），reports findings，and helps to achieve fair and impartial settlements is ombudsman（Merriam-Webster Dictionary），but ombudsperson at Indiana State University.[2]This is a typical example of the gender bias that exists in the English language.
In the latter one，the language is arranged so that men are identified with leading positions，and women are identified with more service-oriented positions in which they are being dominated and instructed by men.So the language used to convey this type of male supremacy is generally reflecting the honored position of the male and the obedience of the female.Even in relationships，the male in the home is often referred to as the “man of the house，” even if it is a 4-year-old child.It is highly insulting to say that a 4-year-old male，based solely on his gender，is more qualified and capable of conducting the business and affairs of the home than his possibly well-educated，highly intellectual mother.There is a definite disparity in that situation.[3]
2.2 Comparison between Chinese Language and American English Language
in A Cross-cultural Point of View.
Just as American English，a lot of vocabulary and phrases exist in Chinese that emphasis masculinity over felinity and so does a set of name-calling system in favor of man due to a historical background of man-centered society for hundreds of years.However，there are some Chinese words and phrases that are perfectly acceptable are considered gender-biased for English-speaking people in the United States.
3.1 Applying High/low Context Method to the Four-word Idiom Hongxiutianxiang
According to Edward Hall，he distinguishes among cultures on the basis of the role of context in communication.In high-context culture，most of the information is in the physical context or is internalized in the people who are a part of the interaction.Very little information is actually coded in the verbal message.In low-context cultures，such as German and American，however，most of the information is contained in the verbal message，and very little is embedded in the context or within the participants.[4]
Hongxiutianxiang，a traditional Chinese four-word idiom adopted from ancient Chinese poem，as in describing a quite aesthetic and poetic scenario that a fair lady in red helps with adding some scent while her lover is reading，is criticized by American for being sexism.Word for word，the literal meaning is the girl in red helps with making some fragrance and it gradually evolves into an iterative image in Chinese literature.It is supposed to be connected with beauty and symbolizes romantic love story.After the first look，it seems that its sign of putting female subjected to male contradicts with feminism in America.As a matter of fact，that is not the exact truth.In the case of Hongxiutianxiang，due to Chinese language featuring high context，it is so generalized and visualized that it can only be understood with certain level of proficiency in Chinese socio-culture and reading nonverbal cues.As English speakers，they rely much on literal meaning and employ linear logic more. 3.2 High/low Context Theory Regarding Buzz Words
Another case on point concerning high/low context is that some popular Internet words in China having the meaning that girls just have to be pretty all day and spend money from their husbands are also categorized as slightly sexism.As a matter of fact，rather than that，this buzz word actually is based on the prerequisite that there is a responsible husband in the family.It’s not like their husbands would require their spouses to do so.In this situation，American say no directly and they value more about individual girl power than the crucial role of female in an organically-functioning family.
Conclusion
Language is a very powerful element.It is the most common method of communication.Yet it is often misunderstood and misinterpreted，for language is a very complicated mechanism.There are times when in conversation with another individual，that we must take into account that the person’s cultural background.Without prudent use，it is also the most effective weapon of destruction.Although there are biases that exist in the English language，there have been considerable changes toward recognizing these biases and making the necessary changes formally so that they will be implemented socially.More importantly，a cross-cultural perspective is supposed to be applied in order to avoid biased writing in multicultural context and not sound inappropriate or even rude.
References：
[1] Moss-Racusina，Corinne A.Dovidiob，John F.Brescollc，Victoria L.Grahama，Mark J.and Jo Handelsmana.Science faculty’s subtle gender biases favor male students[J].Chicago：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America，2013：23-30.
[2] Zheng，Lingping.Jounrnal of Ningbo Radio & TV University [N].Ningbo：Ningbo Radio & TV University Press，2004：5-6.
[3] Zheng，Lingping.Jounrnal of Ningbo Radio & TV University [N].Ningbo：Ningbo Radio & TV University Press，2004：10-11.
[4] Dou，Weilin.Intercultural Business Communication[M].Beijing：Higher Education Press，2011：61-62.
作者簡介
姜俊鹏（1999-），男，汉族，安徽铜陵人，安徽财经大学文学院，2015级本科生，商务英语专业。
（作者单位：安徽财经大学文学院）