GenderandLanguage

1、Gender and LanguageMac Stant andStephanie Cotton1IntroductionLanguage and Gender research formally began in the 1970s. Contributions to the topic from other areas-anthropology, education, womens studies, social psychology, etc.Different types of studies have looked at gender: variationist (quantifyi

2、ng gender differences), interactional studies (context, same-gender, mixed-gender), Fluid models (e.g. unisex), Alternative contexts for communication.2Main Points of Gender and Language UseDirect relationships between gender & language (e.g. Japanese, Hopi, etc).Language & gender research concerned

3、 with:Male and female differencesGender cultural difference verses power and dominanceGendered language use interpreted as reflecting pre-existing & maintaining social distinctionsPast: Gender roles were more well definedPresent: Subgroups within those gender categoriesFuture: Lack of language-gende

4、r differentiation possible3Relationships Between Gender & LanguageLabovs New York City Not only did language vary based on socioeconomic status. . .But he found women use more prestige features (status conscious) , men more vernacular features (overt prestige)Problems with methodologiesSocial class

5、divisions not necessarily accurateInterpreting differences - lack of “convincing evidence”4Gender & Language Relationships (cont.)Caribs (men) Arawak (women)10% vocabulary not shared by both sexesNative American languagesDifferent verb forms in Koasati, Hopis “Thank You”JapaneseWomen- Formal pronoun

6、s in informal situationsWomen- Absence of deprecatory pronounsSouth African-Xhosa speakersHlonipha-womens language of respectGerman women reference- Video5Main Points of Gender and Language UseDirect relationships between gender & language (e.g. Japanese, Hopi, etc).Language & gender research concer

7、ned with:Male and female differencesGender cultural difference verses power and dominanceGendered language use interpreted as reflecting pre-existing & maintaining social distinctionsPast: Gender roles were more well definedPresent: Subgroups within those gender categoriesFuture: Lack of language-ge

8、nder differentiation possible6Gender Differences (cont.)Differing features of conversational style Amount of talk (Coates)Mixed groups-men talk more especially in formal & public contextsSame sex groups- amt. talk equalInterruptions (Zimmerman & West)Men interrupt women more than vice versaConversat

9、ional support (Fishman)Women gave more conversational support than men leaving more opportunities for mens stories to get expanded upon.Tentativeness (Lackoff, 1975, Holmes, 1995)Women use more hedges and tag questions, Compliments (Metshire, et. al., 2001)Women pay and receive more complimentsTopic

10、 of talk (Coates, Tannen)Women speak and hear a language of connection and intimacy (Tannen), Personal Topics (Coates)Men speak and hear a language of status and independence (Tannen), Non-personal Topics (Coates)What are your mixed-gender miscommunication experiences?7Gender as Cultural DifferenceM

11、ALTZ & BORKERGender Communication Differences Learned as Children. I Just dont Understand YouMinimal responses indicate attention for women, but for men they signal agreement - why females use them moreWomen- “mmmhmm” = “Im listening.”Men “mmmhmmm” = “I agree.”TANNEN- Its Just a DifferenceMen and Wo

12、men just have different communication expectations. Men say to women “fight for your right to topicMen want women to mount resistance when they lead the conversation in another direction and take center stage byu telling a story, etc. Womens overlapping agreements and support seen as interruptionsWo

13、men are irritated by men who interrupt to change eht conversational topic.8Gender DominanceLakoff (1975) Informal Observations and IntuitionsDeficit model of language useWomens speaking style (uncertainty and hesitancy) denies them access to power.Zimmerman & West (1975)- Empirical Study of Conversa

14、tion Interruptions- more occurred in mixed-sex groups, most by men. Women are not inadequate but men oppress women with their interruptions, denying them an = status as a communication partnerUCHIA & TROEMEL-PLOETZ- Men are BAD!CAMERON- Men are BAD!COATES- Dont call it dominanceYou dont have to put

15、down men to bring up women.9Main Points of Gender and Language UseDirect relationships between gender & language (e.g. Japanese, Hopi, etc).Language & gender research concerned with:Male and female differencesGender cultural difference verses power and dominanceGendered language use interpreted as r

16、eflecting pre-existing & maintaining social distinctionsPast: Gender roles were more well definedPresent: Subgroups within those gender categoriesFuture: Lack of language-gender differentiation possible10Pre-Existing Social DistinctionsPast Concrete & Established Gender IdentityMen and Women had mor

17、e defined gender rolesRemember the Language Forms Japanese pronouns & deprecatory wordsLack of Mobility - less interaction with different communication stylesNichols (1979) the women who took less traditional work roles outside of the homes & further from their homes experienced language variation d

18、ifferent from those who stayed home. Older women and men stayed in local community and maintained their Creole languageValue placed on upholding traditions (language)11Individual Gender FluidityPast no mobility-meant there werent as many subgroups to identify with. Male, female, or undesirable.Prese

19、nt: Greater subgroups to choose from due to increased interactions/mobility (Nichols).More flexible gender rolesMilroy- language reflects community integration as opposed to gender differences Female gender is more flexibleGerman school girlsJapanese school girlsWomen can violate gender rules more e

20、asily than men can (posture, etc. ) however, that gap is beginning to close (stay at home dads, dancing, etc.) 12Maintaining Social Distinctions: PresentChildrearing PracticesValue of Identifying Gender ImmediatelyMaltz & BorkerSingle Sex Peer Groups from an early ageMediaAdvertisements, etc.Sunderland (1995)German classroom researchThe boys reported they would not say, “were girls.” Its not possible.girls forfeit gender for participation “Were boys!”13Changing Social Distinctions: Present/FuturePeople taking on different gender rolesTransexualsElect