Abstract

BESSA, Pedro. A question of skirts: difficulties with the representation of gender in pictographic language. Ex aequo [online]. 2009, n.19, pp.87-110. ISSN 0874-5560.

The article deals with signage, traffic signs and way-finding systems, which use pictures of individual objects to express abstract concepts. This requires learning and context to be understood. But pictography seems to have other limitations. When compared to verbal language, a major example of these limitations is the representation of gender. In 2005, a survey of 49 signage systems at the University of Aveiro concluded the female gender was underrepresented, and heavily stereotyped. Notwithstanding, the article analyses a few recent attempts to use non-sexist traffic signs and signage, in order to determine whether it is possible to reform or improve pictographic languages.

Keywords : language; gender; pictograms; signage.

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