Who uses they, and who can they be (or not be) used for? Singular they has been proscribed in formal grammars since the mid-18th century, yet it dates to at least the 14th century (Balhorn 2004; Curzan 2003), persevering in both writing and speech (e.g., Baranowski 2002; Balhorn 2009; Lagunoff 1997; Matossian 1997; Newman 1992; Strahan 2008). This thesis investigates the envelope of variation (e.g., LaScotte 2016; Maryna 1978; Meyers 1990) in which speakers make choices of third person singular pronouns based on a multiplicity of both linguistic (e.g., gender stereotypicality, antecedent type) and social (e.g., gender, age, LGBTQ2S+ identity) factors. The analysis is based on data from 620 participants from across Canada and the US between the ages 13 and 79. An online survey sought responses related to three occupations: LaScotte’s (2016) open ended ideal student question was replicated, and Martyna’s (1978) fill in-the-blank style was modelled for mechanic and secretary—nouns with observed and unambiguous gender stereotypes (masculine and feminine respectively; Deaux & Lewis 1986; Haines, Deaux, & Lofaro 2016). Participants self-identified their gender and were categorized into a ternary grouping: men (e.g., cis, trans, transmasculine), women (e.g., fem, cis, trans, female ish), and non-binary (e.g., genderqueer, genderfluid). LGBTQ2S+ identity was also collected, as well as personal pronouns. Use of third person pronouns in the survey responses is quantified by consistency (i.e., maintaining use of the same pronoun throughout a participant’s response) and by proportional frequency of use—the latter explored in depth. The most important quantitative finding is that singular they is the most consistently and frequently used third person pronoun overall. But, its patterns of use are not parallel across test occupations or participant social groups. The results indicate that student is gender-neutral, whereas mechanic and secretary remain gendered (he:they; she:they), results that are reflected by perceptual ratings: student remains neutral (they), mechanic skews masculine (he), and secretary skews feminine (she). The impact of social characteristics adds layers of complexity about the groups leading sociolinguistic change at societal levels and/or within their own communities and networks: Non-binary, LGBTQ2S+, users of gender neutral personal pronouns, and/or younger. Collectively, these findings suggest that gender stereotypical roles are not unilaterally weighted and biases can manifest through pronominal choice. There are multiple dimensions of influence, such as the referent, one’s identity, and the communities to which individuals are connected. Thus, this thesis both uncovers persistent gender biases and creates a dynamic display of pronominal variation across speakers. / Graduate

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:07:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ElisabethSVM_DISSERT.pdf: 1647505 bytes, checksum: ffc186cf1edef21b64780aca230c4cf2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-03-15 / Focusing on the empirical assessment issue, proposed by Language change theory (cf. cf. WEINREICH; LABOV; HERZOG, 2006; LABOV, [1972] 2008), this research assists to clarifying Portuguese teacher s attitudes in Natal- RN, regarding (a) to proclisis in three specific contexts: in the beginning of a simple/compound sentence (V1), after the subjects (SV), and proclisis after the secondary verb in complex verbal structures (V1V2); (b) to students who use such patterns in usage. Specific contexts were gathered thanks to their representing of the standard variety, as many studies have proven (Martins, 2012; Schei, 2003; Biazzoli, 2010, 2012). The research aims at: (i) verifying by means of a classroom assessment test, whether Portuguese teachers correct proclisis on referred contexts; (ii) identifying, via attitudinal tests what actions teachers take regarding to the usage of standards above mentioned, as well as students as users of those. Twenty Portuguese teachers, picked at random out of different of public schools in Natal-RN, responded to a classroom assessment test in addition to other two attitudinal ones. Results achieved point to a recurring high proclisis correction index of 50% in simple/compound sentences, even though such variety has been implemented to pronominal usage standards in Brazilian Portuguese. This setting of usage was generally assessed negatively, having no commonality between this assessment and the neutral one used by students. Unlike previous setting, the proclisis after subject did not receive any correction of the twenty teachers, what proves coherence with the positive evaluation both the varieties and the students attained. As for the second verb of complex verbal structures, proclisis correction went negative on presenting single results, despite their proximity, with correction indexes of 20% (infinite structures), 10% (present progressive structures) and 25% (participle structures). The assessment on these contexts of proclisis ranged between positive and neutral, also valid for the one students utilized. It means that proclisis in the beginning of simple/compound sentences are yet seemingly spotted in writing school scenario, much likely due to the negative evaluation, opposite to students . Later to subjects and earlier to secondary verbs in structures, proclisis appears to be acknowledged in writing school scenarios, which reflects on teachers assessment as compared to students who use proclisis in these contexts; being in general either positive or neutral / Com foco no problema emp?rico de avalia??o, proposto pela teoria da Varia??o e Mudan?a (cf. Labov, 2008), esta pesquisa contribui para o esclarecimento das atitudes do professor de L?ngua Portuguesa, em Natal RN, em rela??o ? pr?clise em tr?s contextos espec?ficos, na escrita, assim como em rela??o aos alunos que usam tais padr?es de coloca??es: em in?cio de ora??o/per?odo (V1), depois de sujeitos (SV) e a pr?clise ao segundo verbo dos complexos verbais (V1V2). Tais contextos de pr?clise foram selecionados para o estudo porque, apesar de constitu?rem a norma culta do Portugu?s Brasileiro, geralmente, n?o s?o aceitos pelas gram?ticas normativas. A pesquisa teve por objetivos: (i) verificar, por meio de um teste de corre??o de sala de aula, se professores de Portugu?s corrigem a pr?clise nos referidos contextos; (ii) identificar, por meio de um teste de atitude, que atitudes os professores t?m em rela??o aos padr?es de coloca??o citados, assim como aos alunos que utilizam tais padr?es. Vinte professores de L?ngua Portuguesa, escolhidos aleatoriamente em escolas p?blicas diversas de Natal-RN, responderam a um teste de corre??o de sala de aula e a dois testes de atitude. Os resultados obtidos com a pesquisa mostram que o ?ndice de corre??o da pr?clise em in?cio de ora??o/per?odo ? alto (50%), embora essa variante lingu?stica esteja implementada nos padr?es de coloca??o pronominal do Portugu?s Brasileiro. Esse contexto de coloca??o foi avaliado, em geral, de forma negativa, por?m n?o houve correspond?ncia entre essa avalia??o e a avalia??o neutra do aluno que a utiliza. Diferentemente do contexto anterior, a pr?clise depois de sujeito n?o recebeu nenhuma corre??o por parte dos vinte professores, o que foi coerente com a avalia??o positiva que a variante e os estudantes que a utilizam obtiveram. A corre??o da pr?clise ao segundo verbo dos complexos verbais apresentou resultados diferenciados, por?m parecidos, com ?ndices de corre??o de 20% (complexo de infinitivo), 10% (complexo de ger?ndio) e 25% (complexo de partic?pio). A avalia??o desses contextos de pr?clise oscilou entre positiva e neutra, assim como a avalia??o dos estudantes que a utilizam. Isso significa que a pr?clise em in?cio de ora??o/per?odo ainda ? marcada no contexto escolar escrito, provavelmente, devido ? avalia??o negativa dos professores, que n?o coincide com a avalia??o dos estudantes que a utilizam. Depois de sujeitos e antes do segundo verbo dos complexos, a pr?clise j? ? aceita em textos escolares escritos sem nenhuma marca, o que se reflete na avalia??o dos estudantes, que foi, em geral, positiva ou neutra