Kiswahili community speakers’ language choice in communicating sexuality issues

Abstract

This paper examines the language choices of Tanzanian Kiswahili speakers when expressing sexuality issues. Guided by Politeness theory and Conceptual Metaphor theory, it examines the different styles and devices these speakers use to communicate information about sexuality. Data were obtained from different settings and social groups using non-participant observation and social media platforms in Tanzania, namely WhatsApp, Youtube, Facebook and Jamii Forum. The findings revealed different styles and devices used to communicate information about sexuality including verbs that appeal to sexual feelings, euphemisms, figurative language, loanwords, symbolism, code mixing and coining. Generally, the findings indicate that expressions about sexuality portray the different people’s perceptions and stereotypes about women. Most expressions about sexuality portray a woman as an object of pleasure, a passive participant in sexual intercourse, an object to be used by man, a person who does not engage in sex at her will, the affected and a sex provider while a man is portrayed as an agent and a beneficiary of the sex act. Along this, sex act is portrayed as a kind of oppression or violence in which a man is regarded as the oppressor and a woman the oppressed. Based on these findings, the paper argues that most expressions about sexuality used by Kiswahili community speakers are gender biased.

Keywords

• Communicative strategies
• euphemisms
• sex
• sexuality
• taboo
• Kiswahili