Il linguaggio inclusivo di genere nella comunicazione universitaria: un’analisi linguistica delle linee guida di atenei svizzeri e austriaci

Gender-inclusive language can be implemented through various strategies: some aim to make gender visible – for instance, through splitting, which reflects the male-female binary, or through the use of so-called Genderzeichen (gender signs),which aim to include all genders. Others pursue gender neustralization, employing epicene or collective nouns. This study examines gender-inclusive language in university communication in Switzerland and Austria by analysing a corpus of 59 guidelines issued by 20 Swiss and 39 Austrian universities. The paper addresses the following questions: do guidelines favour gender explicitation or neutralization? What are the main strategies recommended for both types? The article also compares the guidelines developed by the Federal Chancellery of Switzerland and Austria, so as to highlight the specific features of gender-inclusive language in academic contexts.