State normalization of inclusive language
Type de matériel :
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This article compares the norms for inclusive language issued by state actors in France and in Quebec, qualifying the widely held idea that Quebec is more advanced than France in such matters. The comparison in fact reveals great similarities between the two states’ norms, which appeared at similar times and were similar in content. While some differences do exist, these relate less to the substance of the norms in question—the Quebec authorities did not, for example, produce ‘more inclusive’ ones than their French counterparts—and more to the institutions responsible for producing them. Whereas in Quebec, there has been a consensus about entrusting the task of determining inclusive language norms to a linguistic body, in France, on the contrary, there has been strong rivalry—that seems destined to last—between governmental actors and public officials with responsibilities either for the French language or for gender equality.
Réseaux sociaux