A corpus-assisted discourse analysis of linguistic transphobia on Mumsnet

[IwantToRetire]

By Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistics

It has been suggested that the forum-style parenting website Mumsnet is a hub for ‘gender-critical’ feminism, which directly opposes transgender rights, to be practised with little moderation (Livingston, 2018). This presentation reports on the initial stages of a project aiming to investigate that the potential intensification of linguistic transphobia on Mumsnet may lead to further marginalisation of transgender people offline (Powys Maurice, 2021). Though studies of non-linguistic transphobic rhetoric on Mumsnet (e.g., Pedersen, 2022; Mackenzie, 2019), and discourse analyses of other radical online communities (e.g., Krendel, 2020) have both occurred, this project is the first to analyse linguistic transphobia on Mumsnet. It also contributes to existing literature surrounding UK-based ‘gender-critical’ feminism; linguistic transphobia; and radical online community discourses.

The presentation explores the rise of potentially ‘gender-critical’ linguistic transphobia on Mumsnet over time through the corpus linguistic (CL) analysis of the ‘Feminism: Sex & Gender Discussions’ board, using three corpora comprising a fifteen-year timeframe: 2008-2013; 2013-2018; and 2018-2023. As the project is still ongoing, preliminary findings will be presented, namely a comparative overview of trends yielded in frequency analyses. Overall, this presentation provides insights into the growing commonality of potentially ‘gender-critical’ feminist rhetoric on Mumsnet and its effect on increasing transphobic discourse on the site.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-corpus-assisted-discourse-analysis-of-linguistic-transphobia-on-mumsnet-tickets-880795271367?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

(I had just finished my favourite tea time treat of catching up on FWR and was going to get back to the grindstone when this popped up on my feed. So have come back as it is too good not to be shared. Enjoy!)

Haha at interpretive dance

Sounds interesting and if they've used large language models and sentiment analysis I'd be interested in the results.

Also of comparisons across other sites in the same period

Please don't go and heckle some poor PhD student just for doing research. They have to have a good question to get funding and sentiment analysis is difficult.

Though studies of non-linguistic transphobic rhetoric on Mumsnet

What even is non-linguistic transphobic rhetoric? How would someone go about building a rhetoric outside of language, and even if that were possible, how would you do it on a forum that is almost entirely written?

Waves to Eden 👋

I’d love to know what sites Eden could possibly compare MN too seeing as pretty much every other mainstream site bans any reference to transwomen being men and pretty much kicks out anyone who doesn’t toe the TWAW line

there are no other sites where the conversations that take place here are possible

I think the presumption embedded in 'linguistic transphobia' does rather entitle both her and the institution to some fairly rigorous questioning.

I assume Eden’s definition of transphobia is not accepting TWAW and TMAM and pointing out ppl can’t change sex

She doesn't want to be heckled, she shouldn't accuse us of hate crimes! It seems to me shouting 'gender' and coming after one of the ideologues bête noirs is an easy way to get funding.

I admit I am a bit curious.

what did the human subjects committee review look like?

what kind of scraping tool did they use?

did they use an ai model? Perhaps a standard python package? How did they train it?

or did they just poke around, read a few posts, and write about it?

I've got my ticket. It will be interesting. I wonder if they distinguish between transphobia and gender critical or do they equate the two.

Corpus linguistics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpus_linguistics

Corpus-assisted discourse studies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpus-assisted_discourse_studies

Have no idea but from links above it is about how people talk IRL and can through shared use change rules (on language?)

eg how through (orchestrated?) use of gender TRAs have changed or attempted to change what the word sex means.

although over time mumsnet will be remembered forever of changing the meaning of cake.

corpus-assured discourse analysis: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpus-assisted_discourse_studies

At some point analysis will be done of gender ideology and its harms not the gender centric stuff

surely the use of MN branding on the eventbrite site is a copyright violation? 🧐

Quite! They already subscribe to the idea they can identify out of their sex into a NB category where somehow no one else will notice what sex they are and treat in some kind of mysterious utterly neutral way

(this is course impossible btw)

Yes, I would be interested in the results.

Despite what many say, there IS some transphobia on here (and no, I don't mean just talking about reality).

I do like how posters are already trying to shut down the event by reporting it for spam / hate.

Quite a TRA tactic, that.

'... analysis of the ‘Feminism: Sex & Gender Discussions’ board, using three corpora comprising a fifteen-year timeframe: 2008-2013; 2013-2018; and 2018-2023'

How long has the ‘Feminism: Sex & Gender Discussions’ board been in existence? I was here when it was proposed, but I can't remember when that was. Wasn't it FWR before that?

Oh, and an example of carefully selecting text to remove context and change the meaning would be to say that a poster by the name of IncompleteSenten posted on Mumsnet that she hates trans people and wants them to die.

Please someone do a live thread.

If I don't get a username mention or a quote I'll be gutted.

is that available in an English translation?

I do like how posters are already trying to shut down the event by reporting it for spam / hate.

ive not seen anyone here saying they will do that. I mean who on Earth would they report it too?

Then you need to read the first page.

To be fair someone did say unthread they were reporting it.

I don't think we should. I think we attend.