The Politics of Naming Reform in the Gendered Spheres of Home and Work

Naming has been a central focus of feminist language planning. The initial emphasis was on reforming naming practices for women in public spheres (work, education, media). More recently public discourses about work/life balance have drawn together the public and private, shaping the naming practices for women and men in these domains. This paper explores the dynamics and politics of naming in the intersecting gendered spheres of work and home. Our focus is on the naming of men who occupy the space traditionally associated with women in the home: child care and home duties. We address the consequences of social change on planning agendas and reform strategies in the light of the role of gender-inclusive language planning to promote linguistic equality.