Intersections of Gender, Sexuality, and Age (Youth) Looking at Language

Language plays a significant role in constructing, maintaining and
challenging identities. It also plays an important role, both in
regulating for instance
gender categorization/representation, sexuality, and toward age. The intersectional
properties of gender/sexuality and other social categories (as the one
of youth) need to be widen and deepen to support
our insights on these issues by including more studies from geographical
areas and different sociohistorical conditions which were previously
less represented. For instance, language, as an important
component of 'youth culture' has always constituted a flexible and
omnipresent set of resources; manifestations of youth
language in terms of linguistic innovation and change experienced by
young individuals plays a significant role in crafting youth's numerous
identities. Intersecting identities of young individuals
on the basis of their gender, social class, religion, ethnicity,
sexuality etc. also lead to varied experiences.

The objective of this session is to welcome intersectional research
with a primary focus on the dimensions of gender and/or age.

We welcome paper proposals on topics related to,
although not limited to, the following topics:
• Language and gender/sexual identity
• Youth language, and recent changes in
linguistic practices (such as the effet of ICT)
• Language use in LGBTQ / feminist activism
• Discriminatory and offensive words and discourse
• Discourse analysis and conversation analysis from a queer/feminist
perspective depending also on age
• The use, non-use, and non-normative use of gendered language and/or youth language
• Linguistic expressions and negotiations of sexual desire and sexuality
• Narratives of LGBTQ communities and individuals
• The role of language in the intersections of youth and gendered/sexual
identities and other social categories
• Exploration and articulation of the emerging trends in youth language