Gender aspect in Specialized Communication

Sexism is easier to define than to recognise in its actions, verbal or otherwise, it is a form of discrimination against people on the basis of their gender. It is perpetuated and expressed in a “worldview” in which certain attributes, including character and social roles are assigned to the individual based on their belonging to either gender (we are still in the binary logic of “gender”). Ways of being and spaces of action disregard the potential, self-perception, and aspirations of the individual, but are still generally recognised and accepted as “normal” because of the role that social narratives play in creating shared knowledge in which a society is recognised. This may lead to stigmatisation and often also discrimination. In this sense, it is necessary to reflect on the societal rules to protect those who do not recognise themselves in predefined roles. The chapter deals with these issues in professional communication, using legal language as an example, with the aim of raising awareness of the mechanisms associated with sexism and, above all, of the need for social and legal, but also linguistic, change.