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Self- and Other-Reference in Social Contexts: From global to local discourses
Edited by Minna Nevala and Minna Palander-Collin
[Pragmatics & Beyond New Series 342] 2024
► pp. 138–165

Chapter 7
The communicative functions of third-person singular pronouns

Cisgender and transgender perspectives

| University of Helsinki | Tampere University

This chapter examines the communicative functions of third-person singular pronouns (3PSPs) in the context of self- and other-references. The focus is on transgender contexts, in which 3PSPs have acquired many new functions and associations, such as sharing one’s pronouns upon introduction as a novel way of utilizing 3PSPs in self-reference. Other-references have also gained new context-dependent meanings, e.g. using the wrong pronouns can function as misgendering. Drawing from a thematic analysis of qualitative survey data, the chapter demonstrates how differently cisgender and transgender individuals conceptualize pronouns in relation to one’s identity. Connecting the findings to the broader identity framework by Bucholtz and Hall (2010), the chapter discusses the communicative functions of 3PSPs and the ways in which identities are constructed with pronouns.

Keywords: third-person singular pronouns, nonbinary pronouns, misgendering, identity construction, communicative functions
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background
    • 2.1Communicative functions
    • 2.2Identity, gender, and pronouns
    • 2.3Identities in linguistic interaction
  • 3.Methods
    • 3.1Data
    • 3.2Thematic analysis
  • 4.Cisgender and transgender perspectives on pronouns
    • 4.1Cisgender privileges
      • 4.1.1Biological claims to pronouns
      • 4.1.2Inability to relate
      • 4.1.3Experiences with language-based discrimination
      • 4.1.4Acknowledging privilege and contesting gender roles
    • 4.2Transgender experiences
      • 4.2.1Contextuality
      • 4.2.2Misgendering and language-based discrimination
      • 4.2.3Avoiding conflict/Safety in passing
  • 5.Communicative functions of third-person singular pronouns
    • 5.1Emerging identities: Claiming and hiding identities
    • 5.2Oceans apart: Denaturalization and (false) adequation
    • 5.3Regulating identities: Affirmative acts of authentication and authorization
  • 6.Discussion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 14 March 2024
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.342.07hek
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