Annoying or important? Arguments for and against gender-inclusive language use in German across age and gender

While the use of gender-inclusive language arose as a topic of widespread public debate as early as the 1970s, it has recently gained renewed interest, especially in Germany. The current study uses a questionnaire design to explore the attitudes of 222 native German speakers – across two age groups and several gender identities – regarding gender-inclusive language and the arguments provided for or against its use. The participants make use of seventeen argument categories, most of which have already occupied the debate since the 1980s. However, some new themes also occur, e.g. the issue of context specific use. Overall, themes of inclusivity and language ideology play a larger role for people with positive attitudes, while categories such as language economy and aesthetics are more prevalent for people with negative attitudes.