Some grammatical rules are more difficult than others: The case of the generic interpretation of the masculine

• Autores: Pascal Gygax, Ute Gabriel, Oriane Sarrasin, Jane Oakhill, Alan Garnham
• Localización: European journal of psychology of education, ISSN-e 1878-5174, ISSN 0256-2928, Vol. 24, Nº 2, 2009 (Ejemplar dedicado a: Social dynamics in judgement and performance in academic settings / Céline Buchs (ed. lit.), Armand Chatard (ed. lit.), Olivier Desrichard (ed. lit.)), págs. 235-246
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen
  • English

    In this paper we argue that the generic use of the masculine represents a grammatical rule that might be easy to learn but difficult to apply when understanding texts. This argument is substantiated by reviewing the relevant literature as well as the recent work conducted by the GREL Group (Gender Representation in Language) on the interaction between stereotypical and grammatical information in the construction of a representation of gender when reading role names. The studies presented in this paper show that the masculine form used as a generic to refer to persons of both sexes, or to persons of indefinite sex or whose sex is irrelevant, in gender marked languages is likely to be associated with its specific meaning (i.e., masculine refers only to men). This is true even though the generic nature of the masculine is a very common grammatical rule learnt at school. People may have learned this rule and may understand it, but may not readily apply it.

  • français

    Dans cet article, nous presentons l'idee que I'utilisation generique du masculin represente une regIe grammaticale facile a apprendre mais difficile a appliquer lors de la comprehension de textes. Cette idee est soutenue, entre autres, par les travaux effectues par Ie groupe GREL (Gender Representation in Language) sur l'interaction entre les informations stereotypees et grammaticales lors de l'elaboration d'une representation mentale du genre lors de la lecture de noms de role. Les etudes presentees dans cet article montrent que la forme masculine utilisee comme une forme generique pour se referer a des personnes des deux sexes, ou des personnes dont le sexe n'est pas connu ou non pertinent, est vraisemblablement associee a son sens /specifique/ dans les langues a marques grammaticales de genre (càd., la forme masculine se refire /aux/ /hommes/). Ceci est vrai alors que la nature /generique/ du masculin est une regIe grammaticale usuelle apprise a l'ecole. La regIe peut etre apprise et comprise, mais est vraisemblablement difficile a appliquer