The F-Word

First known use of fuck is in a Scottish poem by William Dunbar, “Ane Brash of Wowing,” in 1503. However, it took nearly another century for fuck to make its lexicographic debut in John Florio’s 1598 Italian-English dictionary.

Not surprisingly, the etymology of fuck is unclear. Some etymologists trace fuck to Germanic languages with an original meaning of “to knock” and cognates such as Old Dutch ficken, Middle High German vicken, and German fricken. This widely accepted derivation, however, has its critics. Another possible etymology is through the French foutre and Latin futuere, but there are similar doubts and an absence of lineage for this derivation as well. Possibly there is a hybrid derivation where foutre participated with ficken to produce fuck. Still other etymologies suggest a Celtic derivation. Of particular interest to the lawyer-lexicographer is the suggestion of an Egyptian root petcha (to copulate).

During the last Egyptian dynasties, legal documents were sealed with the phrase, “As for him who shall disregard it, may he be fucked by a donkey.” The hieroglyphic for the phrase—two large erect penises—makes the message clear.

Understanding Taboo Language

In every culture, there are things that we are not supposed to do and things we are not supposed to say: taboo acts and taboo words. Sometimes there’s a correlation, such as Western society’s taboos relating to sex. While sex is not entirely forbidden, it is regulated by a set of conscious and unconscious rules; given the appropriate time, place, and person, sex is not taboo. Incest, however, is taboo—so is the word motherfucker.
While some taboo acts have corresponding taboo words, others do not. Cannibalism is one of our taboo acts. However, there are no unprintable English words—taboo words—referring to cannibalism. There are also purely linguistic taboos.

For example, Thai speakers in an English environment do not use certain Thai words because they sound like taboo English words, such as the Thai words fâg (sheath), fág (to hatch), and phríg (chili pepper).78 Similarly, Thai speakers avoid English words, such as yet, that sound similar to taboo Thai words, such as jéd, a taboo Thai word for sexual interc ourse.
The Polynesian word taboo itself has two precisely opposite meanings: one that is “sacred or consecrated” and the other “impure, prohibited, dangerous, and disgusting.”

Generally, taboo words fall into one of these two broad categories. Due to its sacred nature, the Hebrews would not say their word for God. For our Germanic ancestors, the names of fearsome animals were taboo. Their word for bear is unknown because it was never recorded. Similarly, in parts of West Africa, the word for snake is taboo. The reptile is referred to euphemistically as a stick or piece of rope. Of course, taboo words relating to body functions are also commonplace—which leads us to fuck.

Psycholinguistics and Fuck

An understanding of fuck as taboo language begins with Columbia University English Professor Allen Walker Read’s groundbreaking work in 1934. Read combined both linguistic and psychoanalytic principles to understand the nature of obscenity in general and the taboo status of fuck in particular. He viewed obscenity as a symbolic construct: “obscenity lies not in words or things, but in attitudes that people have about words and things.” The deep psychological motivation for taboo, according to Read, “probably has its roots in the fear of the mysterious power of the sex impulse.”90 Because primitive man found that the force of passion could so disorder life, he hedged it with prohibitions. The taboo persists because there is an emotional reaction, or “fearful thrill,” that generates from speaking the forbidden word. If you use the word to insult someone or to feel the thrill of doing something that is forbidden, you are actually observing the taboo; this is often labeled as “inverted taboo.” Thus, both silence and use of the taboo word perpetuate it.

It took twenty years before another psycholinguist, Dr. Leo Stone, returned to the study of fuck. With his inquiry, all the tools of psychoanalysis were brought to bear on the taboo word. To Stone, the application of psychoanalysis to fuck was natural: “Since language is the chief instrument of psycho-analysis, and sex is a major field of its scientific and therapeutic interest, the investigation of an obscene word would seem a natural psycho-analytic undertaking[.]” His 1954 article was in response to one of his patient’s persistent use of the word fuck during analysis sessions. Determined to better understand both his patient’s use and the taboo status of fuck, Stone provides both an encyclopedic narrative of the history and etymology of fuck and his own theory explaining its use. Stone concluded that “based on inferences from clinical observation, the opinion is established that the important and taboo English word ‘fuck’ bears at least an unconscious rhyme relation to the word ‘suck’ within the framework of considerations that determine the general phenomenon of obscenity, including the anal emissive pleasure in speech.” Thus Stone “developed the preliminary idea that the rhyme with the word ‘suck’ may have been an important unconscious determinant in the linguistic fixation and taboo of our word in general usage.”

Whether you are willing to fully embrace Read or Stone’s hypotheses or not, these early psycholinguists provide us with two keen insights. First, fuck persists not in spite of taboo, but because of it. As Read aptly put: “A word is obscene not because the thing named is obscene, but because the speaker or hearer regards it, owing to the interference of a taboo, with a sneaking, shame-faced, psychopathic attitude.” Having set aside the word fuck as an obscenity symbol, we work hard to maintain the sacredness of the symbol. This is done primarily by implanting the taboo in our children. Children are taught a language of discourse—“this is a cat” and “this is a tree.” However, they are not offered the words to describe sex. A split world remains: “a world of things with legitimate official names” and a world of silence—taboo.
The second contribution of the psycholinguists is that fuck is taboo because of our buried, subconscious feelings about sex. Read held this belief and more recent commentators, like Richard Dooling, concur:

Perhaps, as Read suggests, we carefully and subconsciously gather all the indelicate and unseemly associations we have with the brute act of reproduction, incest, sex outside of marriage, sex without love, selfish sex, child sexual abuse, fatal venereal diseases—and assign them all to a single unspeakable word. When the word is uttered, it stirs up all these unconscious, unspeakable aspects of sexual congress, which we don’t like to think about because they threaten the social order in a terrifying way.

Even if you do not find Stone’s fuck/suck hypothesis compelling, the psychoanalytic link to sex he espouses is widely accepted. It finds expression in those researchers who explain fuck’s taboo status as a reflection of the Oedipus complex.

According to Dr. Ariel Arango in his book Dirty Words: Psychoanalytic Insights, “the ‘dirty’ word, to fuck, always means, at root, to fuck one’s mother; to go back to her womb. Such is the universal Oedipus longing.” Everyday use of the word would awaken the “sleeping dogs” among fathers and sons. Therefore, a ban on the word fuck is essential to bury the universal incestuous desire.

The importance of psychoanalysis to an understanding of fuck is not to the exclusion of other disciplines. Etymologists provide us with a valuable historical account of usage and taboo. Linguists point out that the phonological pattern of consonant+vowel+hard consonant+consonant may explain why fuck survived while 16th century contemporaries like swive and jape did not. Sociologists note the cultural influences on offensive speech. For example, use of fuck may be appropriate for some contexts (like a dorm room) but not others (like the Dean’s office). Still other social scientists search for an integrated theory to explain fuck. Despite these contributions, psycholinguistics offers the fullest explanation of fuck as taboo, as well as an insight into how to counteract its effects.

Effects of Taboo

Word taboo is irrational. It is one thing to ban certain acts; as a society we are probably better off. But to proscribe naming those same acts makes no sense. Yet that is precisely what we do. In the case of fuck, the taboo is also unhealthy. Emerging from an unhealthy attitude about sex, fuck is an example of what Read calls a “word fetish.”

The extreme emotional response to the word only serves to perpetuate negative attitudes toward sex. Yet the taboo is so strong many engage in individual self-censorship. Some overzealous adherents extend their own sense of “good words” and “bad words” to limit the use of fuck by others. The taboo effect is institutionalized when offensive language leads to legal prosecutions or censorship. An understanding of the intersection of fuck and the law must begin with an appreciation for our individual reactions to taboo.

Psycholinguistics provides the insight into the way we react to the taboo nature of fuck. Taboo effect is so strong we engage in self-censorship. However, refraining from using the stigmatized word doesn’t reduce the taboo effect. Deliberate silence actively abets the taboo rather than ignores it.113 Even those of us with the tools to understand the taboo effect often capitulate. For example, teachers who avoid using shocking words in the classroom when the topic involves speech certainly perpetuate taboo, as well as shirk their pedagogical responsibilities. How can you teach the “Fuck the Draft” case without using the word? But there are those who do.

A corollary of self-censorship is the use of euphemisms. The “f-word” surely is our most common fuck euphemism. Presumably, it allows the speaker to both communicate the precise word intended, while at the same time conforming to the cultural taboo. This just seems silly. Everyone versed in the English language immediately knows that the f-word is fuck. In fact, if the meaning were not universal the euphemism wouldn’t work. So the only rationale for using the f-word instead of fuck is that those who are well-mannered simply don’t say words in public that they wouldn’t say in front of their parents or grandparents. This, of course, is merely another way of describing how taboo is passed from one generation to the next.

Those who give in to the pressure of taboo not only serve to reinforce it, but also empower the self-appointed guardians of speech to restrict fuck’s use by others. I’m not talking about real “speech police” (the FCC), but ordinary citizens or private businesses that want to impose their version of what is appropriate speech on others. The complaining passengers, flight attendants, and Southwest officials who combined to eject the woman wearing the “Meet the Fuckers” t-shirt from her flight, all create a classic example of moralists overstepping their bounds. Almost daily, I encounter invisible others trying to control my use of language through email. The popular Eudora email program rates the use of fuck with its highest “three chili pepper” rating and a juvenile attempt at a humorous message. Still, the intent is to make me engage in self censorship. Popular music has also been a fertile ground for this type of vigilante censorship.
The quintessential punk group the Sex Pistols felt the censorship of others as record labels played “hot potato” with them over the lyrics to their songs in the late 1970s. In 1984, the Dicks released a 7” record (back in the days of vinyl) entitled “Peace?” that included the song “No Fuckin’ War.” However, the company that printed the record jacket was offended and blacked-out “Fuckin” from the cover leaving only “No ______ War.” Recently, some radio stations took self-censorship one more step by banning the pop group Black-Eyed Peas’ hit, “Don’t Phunk with my Heart,” apparently in an attempt to eliminate even euphemisms for fuck. The music industry’s concern over fuck in lyrics could also be due to fear of institutionalized taboo—government censorship.

Institutionalized taboo takes many forms. State anti-obscenity statutes, like the archaic one from Michigan used against Timothy Boomer, are examples. There are federal statutes, such as Title VII, designed for different purposes that are being used to clean up workplace dialogue. There are even institutional organizations, like the FCC, that are used for censorship in this country. However, all of these manifestations of institutionalized taboo are empowered by our Supreme Court—a Court constrained by the effects of taboo. The resulting fuck jurisprudence is characterized by inconsistent treatment of fuck, unnecessary conflicts, and uncertainties.

Lecture on Gendering

Social Construction of Gender

Gender is so pervasive that in our society we assume it is bred into our genes. Most people find it hard to believe that gender is constantly created and re-created out of human interaction, out of social life, and its the texture and order of that social life. Yet gender, like culture, is a human production that depends on everyone constantly "doing gender" (West and Zimmerman 1987).

Everyone “does gender” without thinking about it.

Gender is such a familiar part of daily life that it usually takes a deliberate disruption of our expectations of how women and men are supposed to act to pay attention to how it is produced. Gender signs and signals are so ubiquitous that we usually fail to note them - unless they are missing or ambiguous.

Then we are uncomfortable until we have successfully placed the other person in a gender status; otherwise, we feel socially dislocated. In our society, in addition to man and woman, the status can be transvestite (a person who dresses in opposite-gender clothes) and transsexual (a person who has had sex-change surgery). Transvestites and transsexuals carefully construct their gender status by dressing, speaking, walking, gesturing in the ways prescribed for women or men whichever they want to be taken for - and so does any "normal" person.

For the individual, gender construction starts with assignment to a sex category on the basis of what the genitalia look like at birth.

A sex category becomes a gender status through naming, dress, and the use of other gender markers.

As soon as they can talk, they start to refer to themselves as members of their gender. Sex doesn't come into play again until puberty, but by that time, sexual feelings and desires and practices have been shaped by gendered norms and expectations.

Parenting is gendered, with different expectations for mothers and for fathers, and people of different genders work at different kinds of jobs.

Then why the one-year-old's earrings? Why is it still so important to mark a child as a girl or a boy, to make sure she is not taken for a boy or he for a girl? What would happen if they were? They would, quite literally, have changed places in their social world.

Human society depends on a predictable division of labor, a designated allocation of scarce goods, assigned responsibility for children and others who cannot care for themselves, common values and their systematic transmission to new members, legitimate leadership, music, art, stories, games, and other symbolic productions.
One way of choosing people for the different tasks of society is on the basis of their talents, motivations, and competence - their demonstrated achievements.

The other way is on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity - ascribed membership in a category of people.

Social Construction of Gender

Introduction to Gender

Introduction

A. In social science, the distinction between the biological and cultural aspects of being male or female is important.

B. Sex is biological: refer to male or female

C. Gender is the social and classification of masculine and feminine

D. When Anthropologists speak of “gender” they mean any culture’s expectation for those classified as men and women and what it means to be masculine or feminine in that particular culture.

I. CROSS-CULTURAL OBSERVATIONS ABOUT GENDER.

A. All cultures recognize distinctions between male and female but each culture differs in:

1. the meaning attached to these categories

2. the source of the difference between them, and

3. the relationship between sex and other cultural/social facts

B. All Cultures recognize 2 sexes: male and female and 2 genders masculine and feminine, but some cultures recognize other sexes and genders

II. THE CULTURAL CONSTRUCTION OF GENDER

A. In 1930’s Anthropologist Margaret Mead challenged biological determinism. She organized research around one question: Are the characteristics defined as masculine and feminine in western culture universal.

B. Her studies of three New Guinea groups revealed masculine and feminine roles and temperament were cultural patters.

1. Arapesh men and women were expected to act in ways Americans considered “naturally feminine.”

2. In Mundugamor society, both sexes were what American culture would call “masculine.”

3. Among the Tchambuli, personalities of men and women were opposite to American conceptions of masculine and feminine: women were practical in business; men were decorative and sensitive.

III. ALTERNATIVE SEXES, ALTERNATIVES GENDERS

A. Some cultures recognize more than 2 sexes, more than 2 genders; and heterosexuality and homosexuality may have different definitions.

1. Among the Igbo of Nigeria either sex fills male gender roles.

2. Woman-woman marriage continues in more than 30 African groups despite missionary disapproval; these relationships are not sexual.

a. in woman/woman marriages, the female husband takes on a variety of economic and social gender roles depending on the culture

3. Alternate genders, i.e., neither man or woman) are the Xanith of Oman, the Hijras, of India, and the Two-Spirit Role, in Native America.

a. Hijras, are emasculated through surgery; they adopt female behavior and dress; their subculture is partly a religious cult and have a place in Indian society as they perform at lifecycle ceremonies, i.e., marriages and births.

b. Two-Spirit role took different forms in different tribes and different value in different tribes.

c. Two-Spirit role usually refers to a man who dressed as a woman, engaged in man’s work and has supernatural powers.

d. The French term berache, used by European explorers and missionaries, means male homosexual prostitute. However, the terms reflect European rather than indigenous associations with crossing dressing and identifying sexual object choice with gender identity.

IV. CULTURAL VARIATION IN SEXUAL BEHAVIOR

A. Cultures vary I their definition of appropriate sexual behavior.

1. Sexual activity is generally regarded as “doing what comes naturally,” yet every aspect of sexual activity is patterned by culture and influenced by learning.

Cultural patterns include

a. how people treat different body parts.

b. what is considered erotic behavior and what is disgusting.

c. acts of foreplay

2. Appropriate sexual partners vary in different societies. Homosexuality may be forbidden, approved, ignored or be obligatory, as it is among the Sambia of New

Guinea.

a. Among the Sambia, girls are viewed as “naturally” growing into woman, i.e., menstruation.

b. The Sambia believe that “women are born.”

c. The Sambia believes that the “menstrual blood” grows girls into women— filling out their bodies and making them capable of pregnancy and childbirth.

d. Since men have no such “blood”, The Sambia believe that men must be made. In other words, men are made not born.

e. Masculinity is constructed in a ritual; this contrasts sharply with Western notions that femininity and masculinity have strong biological components.

f. The Sambia, like other New Guinea societies have a high degree of sex segregation and hostility between the sexes enforces by powerful taboos.

g. Males and females live in separate houses. Between 7 and 10, young boys are taken from their mothers and live with their fathers and other male kin.

h. Sambian males are “grown” in men through a series of male initiation rituals beginning once they enter the male house.

i. The ritual entails the obligatory homosexuality, i.e. the ingesting of semen, which according to the Sambia, is necessary so that “maleness” grows.

V. SEXUAL BEHAVIOR AND IDEOLOGY: A CROSS CULTURAL COMPARISON.

A. The Irish of Inis Beag and the Polynesians of Mangaia clearly show the role of culture in sexuality.

B. The sexually repressed Inis Beag regards all aspects of sex negatively.

C. Although in Mangaia, sexual intercourse is a major interest in life, it is unacceptable conduct for boys and girls to be seen in public.

D. Values and physical responses of both people are learned as this section clearly demonstrates.

VI. THE CONSTRUCTION OF MASCULINITY IN SPAIN

A. In the Andalusian region of Spain, control of female sexuality is central to the construction of masculinity.

B. The view that women are lustful, seductresses and “whores” possessed of insatiable sexual appetites is justified with reference to Christian scripture.

C. Medieval beliefs in women’s ability to overpower and weaken men through their sexuality are given a contemporary twist by informants who claim women make sexual demands that drive men to their premature death so they live off their husbands’ entire social security benefits.

D. The cultural construction of manhood in San Blas (Southern Spain) opposes that of women.

1. Space has gender: women belong to the home; men to the streets, bars and public spaces

2. Men, fearful that their wives will be unfaithful and dishonor the family, adhere to an image of manliness constituted by aggressive sexuality.

COMPLIMENT?

We've all heard the comments about "women drivers," "dumb blondes," and "she's PMSing." Each is a subtle put-down of women and their abilities, intelligence, and emotional stability. Most of us shrug off these insults because they're so commonplace. But once in a while, you hear someone say something about women that makes your blood boil. What are the rudest, nastiest, most sexist comments about women you've heard, either personally or through the media? Why did it bother you, and what did you think of the person who said it? Share Your Experiences

A Compliment?
A male friend was once telling me about his new girlfriend and how much he liked her, and said, "It's been a long time since I've thought of a woman as anything more than a receptacle for my penis." He meant it as a compliment. We are no longer friends because of that and other similarly offensive comments.
—DorisLin

Woman to woman comment
When I was at the USAF Academy, I had a woman teammate on the fencing team that disliked (in the extreme) another femaie teammate. She described the object or her dislike thusly: "She is half of a dripping c*nt. Want to know why? Because half is useless!"
—Guest USAFA Cadet

Oh, yes he did...
I've had a left-side, then later, a right-side mastectomy. Someone who claimed to love me called me a "no titty bitch." I don't think about it too much anymore... since I sent him to state prison for stealing from me.
—Guest P

The light bulb joke
Q: How many feminists does it take to change a light bulb? A: Trick question. Feminists can't change anything.
—Guest the truth

Attitude not Words
While words have a cumulative effect, the real impact comes from the attitude of the speaker. Normally derogatory words may be used in a joking manner among persons who respect one another on occasion, and it words both ways However, the cumulative effect must be remembered even where the intent is not negative. The best course is to eschew these comments.
—Guest Jocko

Dependent
Name calling is hurtful. Physical abuse would be merciful in comparison. Had beatings as long as I can remember not by him. He's NEVER hit me. I thought he would be my hero. What I have is shelter with a dirty OLD man with a vile mouth, who needs viagra to be a man. I have no home or place to go. I am not allowed to buy anything of value without his consent. No place to go,no money,no credit. what can I do? I need help and a friend to confide in.
—Guest Imbecile

Vacuum in their head
Women have so many lower body openings that the only thing that keeps their insides from dropping out is the vacuum in their head.
—Guest bejammin

Girls Are "Trouble"?
One of the comments about our sex that really upsets me is the belief that girls are "trouble." Usually, that is cited as the reason that many people prefer boys over girls. Unfortunately, I have a couple of aunts who feel exactly that way, which I find pretty ironic coming from them since THEY used to be girls themselves. Neither one of them wanted girls; they wanted only boys. Well, they got the boys they wanted, but that comment still upsets me because it says that we are not wanted here and are nothing but trouble. It also makes us feel inferior and unworthy. If we women and girls are "trouble," then why did God put us here?
—vero2244

tasteless Hillary Clinton joke
An old Esquire article contained one of the rudest comments I've ever heard about a woman -- the Hillary Clinton joke : Question: What's the Hillary Clinton KFC special? Answer: Two small breasts, two large thighs, and two left wings. You'd never hear that kind of slur made against a man.
—Guest Hillary voter

Cougar term took wind out of my sails
I hadn't been out to our local 80's dance night in a while. The Wednesday night tradition has been going on since at least 2000 and is still a hit, with young hipsters dancing right along with soccer moms and even redneck jocks. A very positive fun thing always and I used to go regularly. I happened to speak to a man I know just before going out, and he said, "Oh, going to get your cougar on?" I know he probably just felt left out or old himself, but wow did it make me mad and take the wind out of my sails. I hate that term. Because of that, I danced happily with every man on the floor regardless of age.
—laylamom

Ugh..
I am 13 and allready a very strong believer in feminine strength. As Marilyn Monroe said, "Any woman who has the dream to be equal to a man has a lack of ambition" I have found that the worst comments have been simple things such as " You're a girl! You can't do that!!!" or "Stand back, Barbie, let a GUY do this!" One day these arrogant self-worshiping pigs will get socked by "Barbie." Let's see who can do more THEN...
—Guest IamwhoIam, a girl

'Marital Piss'
Heard a shocker from a male. He called intercourse the "marital piss." Charming.
—Guest gorillagal

Drunk, really?
Often, guys take advantage of women who are drunk--more so most of their friends. I have a friend once who got so drunk she was almost tumbling on her own foot. This guy was trying to kiss her and the amazing thing was, she puked ON THE GUY!! Good for him. Every time I see him I can't help but laugh and remember.
—Guest Jhenni

Self-Doubt
Often when I tell women I'm an economist, they shrug it off with the self-deprecating comment "I can't learn about the economy. It's too difficult." These are successful business-women, but somewhere they've internalized the idea that only men can understand the economy. Puh-lease! Ladies! Hasn't this recession taught us that a) we are smart enough to figure out anything and b) the economy is a game we can't afford to sit out. We're on the field whether we understand the game or not. If women took responsibility for understanding and managing the economy, the world would be a much saner, kinder and safer place. Maybe I'm being sexist, but that's my feeling. P.S. I'm sure I've heard some "nastier" comments from men over my years, but none are as damaging as the ones we've internalized. Kimberly
—US_Economy

The "C" Word
It seems the "C" word is common among men who want to harass women on the streets. This is only one of many experiences: Long ago... in my 20s a man came up to me on the streets of NYC and said, "Hey beautiful, C_NT!" I started walking as fast as I could then to get away from him...
—Guest news journalist

(source women's issues)

WELCOME

When it comes to the facts about women's lives, we don't need to focus on women's issues, do we? Nowadays, women and men are treated the same, right? Isn't the gender gap a myth? Don't women have equal rights already -- just like men? Aren't we guaranteed equal rights in the Constitution?
The answer to every single question above is 'no.'

*I am looking forward to having a great class discussion in the entire semester.