ABSTRACT:
The present study deals with issues of relations between gender ideologies and language ideologies, with a view to discussing the hypothesis of the convergence between linguistic hegemonies and the hegemonic order of gender, underpinned by Western ethnocentric tradition. It has been developed using examples extracted from two feminist activist Facebook communities. These communities have been the object of a virtual ethnographic study since 2013. This research focuses on the metapragmatic function carried out by the comments of the participants in those communities. It is guided by an understanding of language as social action (BAUMAN; BRIGGS, 1990BAUMANN, R.; BRIGGS, C. Poetics and performances as critical perspectives on language and social life. Annual review of Anthropology, Palo Alto, CA, v.19, n.1, p.59-88, 1990.); and of the concepts of “language ideology” (WOOLARD, 1998WOOLARD, K. A. Language Ideology as a Field of Inquiery. In: WOOLARD, K. A. et al. Language Ideology: Practice and Theory. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. p. 2-40.), discursive conflict (BRIGGS, 1996BRIGGS, C. Disorderly discourse: narrative, conflict, & inequality. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996.) and “metapragmatic attack” (JACQUEMET, 1994JACQUEMET, M. T-offenses and metapragmatic attacks: strategies of interactional dominance. Discourse & society, Stanford, v.5, n.3, p.297-319, 1994.). The understanding of processes of identity construction in relation to power dispute and control in the contexts of interaction and the social world (SIGNORINI, 1998SIGNORINI, I. Figuras e modelos contemporâneos da subjetividade. In: SIGNORINI, I. (org.). Língua(gem) e identidade. Campinas: Mercado de Letras, 1998. p.333-380.; MOITA LOPES, 2010MOITA LOPES, L. P. Os novos letramentos digitais como lugares de construção de ativismo político sobre sexualidade e gênero. Trabalhos em Linguística Aplicada, Campinas, v.49, n.2, p.393-417, 2010.) also plays a key role. Gender/sexuality hegemonies as well as linguistic hegemonies are coarticulated in space-time, thereby fulfilling the purposes of (dis)crediting arguments, face-saving (or threatening), and (re)orientating interactions. This occurs particularly when attempting to develop a set of language-use norms, which evokes a school-related cultural model and is capable of establishing relationships between said model and the ability of individuals to understand the gender- and sexuality-related issues under discussion.
KEYWORDS:
Gender ideologies; Language ideologies; Metapragmatic attack; Discursive conflict; Facebook
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