Facebook Commentaries in Leni Robredo’s Presidential Campaign: Sexism Illumination

  • Ailyn Capuyan Languages, Literature and Communication, Alumni, Cebu Technological University, Tuburan, 6043
  • Mark Paul Capuyan Languages, Literature and Communication, Alumni, Cebu Technological University, Tuburan, 6043
  • Percky Daffodil Jayme Languages, Literature and Communication, Alumni, Cebu Technological University, Tuburan, 6043
  • Joemar Minoza Languages, Literature and Communication Faculty, Cebu Technological University, Tuburan, 6043 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6707-7593
  • Rogela Flores Languages, Literature and Communication Faculty, Cebu Technological University, Tuburan, 6043
Abstract views: 555 , PDF downloads: 544
Keywords: Sexism, Gender Biases, Gender Inclusive Language, Facebook Commentaries

Abstract

Sexism in social media sites has rarely been looked into and has been scarcely seen as a crucial subject to research studies, which is alarming to the desire to achieve an equal and just society. This study focused on the sexist rhetoric used in the commentaries on 2022 Presidentiable Leni Robredo to reveal how prevalent and existing sexism in the Philippines through language is. Comments are gathered from Facebook posts pertaining to Atty. Leni Robredo. The study employed a qualitative-descriptive research design, specifically content analysis, to analyze sexist words and phrases. The weight and capability of each word's sexism were compared when it is used to insult, degrade, and malign a woman to determine its level of sexism. The study revealed that deep-rooted gender biases and sexism through language are still highly functioning in society, as is observed and experienced online. Hostile sexism is the most pervasive level of sexism and hence contributes to widespread sexism in the country and is more commonly done by the majority of males than females. It is recommended that academe should promote unbiased gender language by making every term and phrase gender inclusive as an introduction lesson/subject) to avoid sexism.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Ailyn Capuyan, Languages, Literature and Communication, Alumni, Cebu Technological University, Tuburan, 6043

AILYN CAPUYAN is a graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in English, majoring in English Language Studies from Cebu Technological University-Tuburan Campus. She is currently a teacher of English as a Second Language in the Native Camp. Her research interests include Sexism, Language and Gender, and Linguistics.

Mark Paul Capuyan, Languages, Literature and Communication, Alumni, Cebu Technological University, Tuburan, 6043

MARK PAUL CAPUYAN graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English, majoring in English Language Studies from Cebu Technological University-Tuburan Campus. He is currently a customer service representative in a BPO company in Cebu City, Philippines. His research interests include Sexism and Linguistics.

Percky Daffodil Jayme, Languages, Literature and Communication, Alumni, Cebu Technological University, Tuburan, 6043

PERCKY DAFFODIL JAYME is a graduate of Bachelor of Arts in English major in English Language Studies from Cebu Technological University-Tuburan Campus. Her research interests include Sexism and Discourse Analysis.

Joemar Minoza, Languages, Literature and Communication Faculty, Cebu Technological University, Tuburan, 6043

JOEMAR T. MINOZA is a resident faculty member of the Languages, Literature, and Communication Department of Cebu Technological University. He is currently pursuing his PhD in English Language Teaching at the University of the Visayas. He is also currently writing his dissertation on Philippine English. His research interests include linguistics, applied linguistics, ELT, stylistics, sociolinguistics, and Philippine English.

Rogela Flores, Languages, Literature and Communication Faculty, Cebu Technological University, Tuburan, 6043

ROGELA A. FLORES is a resident faculty member of the Languages, Literature, and Communication Department of Cebu Technological University. She is pursuing her doctorate in English Language Teaching at the Cebu Normal University. Her research interests include linguistics, applied linguistics, ELT, and sociolinguistics.

References

Bäck, H., Hansen, M., Renström, E., & Carroll, R. (2020). Chivalry or Chauvinism? The Impact of Benevolent and Hostile Sexism in the 2016 US Presidential Election. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.22788.14725

Becker, J. C., & Swim, J. K. (2012). Reducing Endorsement of Benevolent and Modern Sexist Beliefs: Differential Effects of Addressing Harm Versus Pervasiveness of Benevolent Sexism. Social Psychology, 43(3), 127–137. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-9335/a000091

Brandt, M. J. (2011). Sexism and Gender Inequality Across 57 Societies. Psychological Science, 22, 1413–1418. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0956797611420445

Bracic, A., Israel-Trummel, M., & Shortle, A. F. (2018). Is Sexism for White People? Gender Stereotypes, Race, and the 2016 Presidential Election. Political Behavior, 41(2), 281–307. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-018-9446-8

Canh, N. D. (2017). Linguistic Sexism in Current Upper Secondary School English Language Textbooks: Tiếng anh 10, Tiếng anh 11 and Tiếng anh 12. VNU Journal of Foreign Studies, 33(6) 26-40. https://doi.org/10.25073/2525-2445/vnufs.4206

Cameron, D. (2020). Language and Gender: Mainstreaming and the Persistence of Patriarchy. International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 2020(263), 25–30. https://doi.org/10.1515/ijsl-2020-2078

Cassese, E. C., & Barnes, T. D. (2019). Reconciling Sexism and Women’s Support for Republican Candidates: A Look at Gender, Class, and Whiteness in the 2012 and 2016 Presidential Races. Political Behavior, 41(3), 677–700. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-018-9468-2

De Geus, R., Ralph-Morrow, E., & Shorrocks, R. (2022). Understanding Ambivalent Sexism and its Relationship with Electoral Choice in Britain. British Journal of Political Science, 52(4), 1564–1583. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007123421000612

Evangelista, I. (2017). Sexism in Higher Education Institutions in Countryside Philippines. Journal of Academic Research, 2(3), 7–17.

Fajardo, E., & Buenaventura, B. (2023). Language and Gender: A Case Study of The Communique and The Mentors Student Publications. 7, 11–23.

Fakhri, N., Buchori, S., & Irdianti, I. (2023). Benevolent Sexism and Obedience in Adolescent Girls. Jurnal Scientia, 12(3), 3125–3131. https://doi.org/10.58471/scientia.v12i03.1443

Glick, P., & Fiske, S. (2001). An Ambivalent Alliance: Hostile and Benevolent Sexism as Complementary Justifications for Gender Inequality. In J. Dixon & M. Levine (Eds.), Beyond Prejudice: Extending the Social Psychology of Conflict, Inequality and Social Change (Vol. 56, pp. 109–118). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Gothreau, C., Arceneaux, K., & Friesen, A. (2022). Hostile, Benevolent, Implicit: How Different Shades of Sexism Impact Gendered Policy Attitudes. Frontiers in Political Science, 4, 817309. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2022.817309

Hammond, M. D., Milojev, P., Huang, Y., & Sibley, C. G. (2018). Benevolent Sexism and Hostile Sexism Across the Ages. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 9(7), 863–874. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550617727588

Haraldsson, A., & Wängnerud, L. (2019). The Effect of Media Sexism on Women’s Political Ambition: Evidence From a Worldwide Study. Feminist Media Studies, 19(4), 525–541. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2018.1468797

Kun, J. (2022). An Analysis of Sexism in Morphology and Semantics of English. Theory and Research in Citizenship Education, 10(8), 75-94.

Lee, M. (2018). Effects of Benevolent Sexism on Capital Regional High School Girls’ Appearance Management. Theory and Research in Citizenship Education, 50(4), 145–174. https://doi.org/10.35557/TRCE.50.4.201812.007

Leonard, J. (2021, May 28). 6 Types of Sexism, Examples, and Their Impact. Retrieved October 10, 2023, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/types-of-sexism

Lewis, J. A. (2018). From Modern Sexism to Gender Microaggressions: Understanding Contemporary Forms of Sexism and Their Influence on Diverse Women. In C. B. Travis, J. W. White, A. Rutherford, W. S. Williams, S. L. Cook, & K. F. Wyche (Eds.), APA Handbook of the Psychology of Women: History, Theory, and Battlegrounds (Vol. 1). (pp. 381–397). Washington: American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000059-019

Macatangay, G. F., Biescas, A., Pascua, E. J., Sandoval, L. J., & De Ocampo, M. R. (2023). Is History Repeating Itself?: Analysis of the Transmission of Misogyny to Daughters Through Family Communication. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4504733

Pérez-Sabater, C. (2015). Research on Sexist Language in EFL Literature: Towards a Non-Sexist Approach. Porta Linguarum Revista Interuniversitaria de Didáctica de Las Lenguas Extranjeras, 23(23), 187–203. https://doi.org/10.30827/Digibug.53766

Rivera, F., & Adriatico, D. (2022). Sexist Languages on the Facebook Page Threads of Philippines’ Most Followed Female Social Media Influencer. E-Dawa: An International Multidisciplinary Research Journal, 1(1), 110–117. https://doi.org/10.56901/VLUC5863

Rosida, I., Mona Ghazali, M., Dedi, D., & Shafa Salsabila, F. (2022). The Manifestation of Internalized Sexism in the Pick Me Girl Trend on TikTok. Alphabet, 5(1), 8–19. https://doi.org/10.21776/ub.alphabet.2022.05.01.02

Sales, A. J. G., Leuterio, G. D., Lopez, L. J. S., Matinao, C. D. G., Naces, L. C., & Ramos, A. L. (2022). Advertisements and Sexism in the Philippines. International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research, 3(9), 1664–1672. https://doi.org/10.11594/ijmaber.03.09.07

Schaffner, B. F. (2020). The Heightened Importance of Racism and Sexism in the 2018 US Midterm Elections. British Journal of Political Science, 52(1), 492–500. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007123420000319

Stepanikova, I., Acharya, S., Abdalla, S., Baker, E., Klanova, J., & Darmstadt, G. L. (2020). Gender Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms Among Child-Bearing Women: ELSPAC-CZ Cohort Study. EClinicalMedicine, 20, 100297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100297

Tahsini, I., & Duci, V. (2022). Women and Politics: Coverage of 2021 Parliamentary Election Campaign in the Albanian Online Media. Global Social Welfare: Research, Policy & Practice, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40609-022-00248-5

Tarrayo, V. N. (2014). Gendered Word (or World): Sexism in Philippine Preschool English Language Textbooks. I-Manager’s Journal on English Language Teaching, 4(2), 25–32. https://doi.org/10.26634/jelt.4.2.2795

Triana, M. D. C., Jayasinghe, M., Pieper, J. R., Delgado, D. M., & Li, M. (2019). Perceived Workplace Gender Discrimination and Employee Consequences: A Meta-Analysis and Complementary Studies Considering Country Context. Journal of Management, 45(6), 2419–2447. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206318776772

Van Der Pas, D. J., & Aaldering, L. (2020). Gender Differences in Political Media Coverage: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Communication, 70(1), 114–143. https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqz046

Varadarajan, R. (2020, April 27). The Need for a Feminist Language Reform to Tackle Casual Sexism. Retrieved November 17, 2023, from Feminism in India website: https://feminisminindia.com/2020/04/28/feminist-language-reform-tackle-casual-sexism/

Willis, M., & Jozkowski, K. N. (2018). Ladies First? Not So Fast: Linguistic Sexism in Peer-Reviewed Research. The Journal of Sex Research, 55(2), 137–145. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2017.1346058

Winter, N. J. G. (2022). Hostile Sexism, Benevolent Sexism, and American Elections. Politics & Gender, 19(2), 427–456. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1743923X22000010

Published
2023-11-26
How to Cite
Capuyan, A., Capuyan, M. P., Jayme, P. D., Minoza, J., & Flores, R. (2023). Facebook Commentaries in Leni Robredo’s Presidential Campaign: Sexism Illumination. OKARA: Jurnal Bahasa Dan Sastra, 17(2), 281-299. https://doi.org/10.19105/ojbs.v17i2.10271