Bounded Bodies and Framed Voices: Gender Settings, Mobility Constraints, and Gender-Sensitive Language in Social Institutions

Abstract

This study examines the interrelationship between gender settings, mobility constraints, and gender-sensitive language within social institutions, conceptualizing them as interconnected mechanisms that regulate both physical presence and symbolic participation. Employing a quantitative, cross-sectional research design, data were collected from a sample of 316 students enrolled in the BS (4-Year) Social Sciences program at a public sector university. A structured questionnaire comprising multiple sections was used as the primary data collection instrument. Prior to the main survey, pilot testing was conducted with 30 randomly selected students to ensure the clarity and reliability of the instrument. An attitudinal scale measuring levels of (dis)agreement captured students’ perceptions. Univariate analysis was applied to examine data distributions and patterns, and the findings were systematically discussed to derive results and conclusions. The study reveals that gender settings, mobility restrictions, and language practices function as mutually reinforcing forms of institutional power that disproportionately discipline gendered bodies, particularly those of women, however, framing voices in ways that normalize unequal participation and visibility. The findings further suggest that the adoption of gender-sensitive language remains largely symbolic when embedded within institutional contexts that continue to reproduce gendered hierarchies. The study underscores the need for integrated structural interventions addressing spatial regulation, interactional norms, and discursive practices to move beyond symbolic inclusion toward substantive gender equality within social institutions.