‘Anche la lingua deve adeguarsi’. La percezione pubblica del dibattito sul linguaggio inclusivo

In light of the growing interest in the use of inclusive language, this paper investigates Italian speakers’ perceptions of the use of gender-neutral linguistic strategies. The principal aim of the study is to examine the extent of awareness of inclusive language among speakers and the discrepancies in opinion between those who use inclusive linguistic strategies and those who do not. The study is based on data from a sociolinguistic survey distributed among 367 participants, divided into three profiles: (a) students; (b) public, private and freelance employees; (c) academics and teachers. The analysis of the results demonstrates a pervasive awareness of linguistic inclusion strategies, as well as a discrepancy in responses based on the use or non-use of inclusive linguistic strategies. The two groups identified on the basis of this criterion exhibited differing emphases, in one case prioritising the social aspect of the issue, in the other emphasizing the linguistic aspect.