To Bitch or Not to Bitch: A Pilot Study on Gendered Profanity on Middlebury's Campus, Poster 32

This research focuses on the use of gendered profanity on the Middlebury College campus. For the purposes of this project, gendered profanity can be defined as swear words, often those pertaining to the body or sex, that are... [ view full abstract ]

This research focuses on the use of gendered profanity on the Middlebury College campus. For the purposes of this project, gendered profanity can be defined as swear words, often those pertaining to the body or sex, that are commonly associated with either male or female gender identities. We created a survey targeting eleven curse words typically associated with either the male or female gender, to answer the question: How are gendered taboo words perceived on Middlebury’s campus? More specifically, is there a difference between how male students perceive gendered profanity as compared to female students? We received a total of 171 responses. Of the participants, 98 identified themselves as female, 70 identified themselves as male, and three were either gender non-conforming or opted not to reveal their gender identity. For the purpose of this study, only the male and female responses were analyzed. The survey results indicate that male-identifying students at Middlebury are less offended by gendered profanity than female-identifying students. Furthermore, our survey concluded that in regards to vulgar terms geared towards women, the female-identifying students were significantly more offended than the male population. This difference in reaction to female-oriented curse words could be a potential source of tension at Middlebury College. When combined with recent news coverage of sexual harassment and gender inequality in professional settings, the results of this research indicate that language may have an impact on Middlebury students’ perceptions of gender and the college community.