Attitudes envers le langage inclusif au Québec en 2022 : associations avec le genre, l’âge et le contact universitaire selon une analyse multivariée des données d’un sondage en ligne

Abstract

Introduction: The province of Quebec (Canada) is often considered to be at the vanguard of language feminization in the francophone world (Elchacar, 2019). However, even in Quebec, there is no consensus on gender-inclusive language, with public opinions and even official approaches varying considerably (Dumais, 2007; Elchacar, 2019; Moreau, 2023; Rioux, 2020; Niosi, 2017). Objectives: This study aims to provide an up-to-date picture of attitudes towards inclusive language in the French-speaking population of Quebec, particularly how these attitudes relate to sociodemographic characteristics. Methods: An online, 15-item Likert-scale survey conducted in Spring 2022 gathered complete responses from 193 French-speaking adult Quebecers (M=36; F=146; Other=11) regarding their attitudes towards gender-inclusive language, while also recording the following sociodemographic characteristics: (1) age (18-30; 31-50; 51;-65; > 65), (2) gender (male, female, other), and (3) university affiliation (having worked or studied at a university previously). An overall attitude score was computed for each participant by averaging their responses to the survey items. Results: Results of a PERMANOVA show that while attitudes towards inclusive language are generally positive (especially amongst younger and non-male-identifying participants), significant disagreements persist, notably along sociodemographic lines, with age and gender accounting for approximately 20% of the variance in the overall attitude score (R² = 0.195). University affiliation was not a significant factor (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Overall, the study confirms that attitudes towards gender-inclusive language in Quebec remain heterogeneous and are associated with age and gender, though only partially accounted for by them. This study provides a foundation for future research using larger, more representative samples and will facilitate cross-regional comparisons of attitudes towards gender-inclusive language in the francophone world.