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Language Gender - Class Notes Language Gender - Class Notes

This document summarizes several key studies conducted between 1974-1992 on gender differences in language. The studies found that men tended to dominate conversations by interrupting more, holding the floor for longer periods, and using more direct/confrontational language. In contrast, women tended to use language that affirmed relationships, avoided confrontation, and maintained social harmony. However, some later studies suggested that differences in language usage were more influenced by relative status and power rather than inherent gender traits.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
60 views7 pages

Language Gender - Class Notes Language Gender - Class Notes

This document summarizes several key studies conducted between 1974-1992 on gender differences in language. The studies found that men tended to dominate conversations by interrupting more, holding the floor for longer periods, and using more direct/confrontational language. In contrast, women tended to use language that affirmed relationships, avoided confrontation, and maintained social harmony. However, some later studies suggested that differences in language usage were more influenced by relative status and power rather than inherent gender traits.

Uploaded by

farabi nawar
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Language gender - class notes

English Language & Literature - A1 (Sixth Form (UK))

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Event(s)

1974- Peter ● Wanted to find out why people's way of talking varied
Trudgill ● He focused on the suffix
● Found that men used more non-standard pronunciation than women

1975- Robin ● Thought that women's language lacked authority compared to men’s
Lakoff ● Created the Politeness Principle- a series of maxims which women feel
obliged to set their conversations to (don't impose, give the receiver
options when asking a question, and make the receiver feel good)
● Therefore believed that women's language was powerless and was
constructed in favour of men's language so as to make women seem
more submissive

1975- ● They wanted to find out if the presence of uncooperative interactive


Zimmerman and features in conversation (interruptions) depended on gender

West ● They found that 90% of conversations included such features


(overlapping or interruptions) more frequently in men's conversations

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1976- Eakins ● They conducted a study of ‘verbal turn taking’ by faculty members
and Eakins (people in meetings). The study was focused on gender and
interruption.
● When conducting the experiment, it was found that the chairman was
interrupted the least overall; a woman was interrupted the most overall,
the men’s turns ranged from 10.06 - 17.07 seconds and that the
women’s turns ranged from 3 - 10 seconds.
● Men (on average) have more frequent turns, spoke for greater lengths
of time, interrupted others more and were interrupted less. Women (on
average) are more likely to express agreement or ask for another
opinion and are less likely to interrupt others.

1980- O'Barr and ● Developed their findings based on Lakoff's work


Atkins ● Believed that language differences are situation-specific, and relied on
who has authority and power rather than gender

1981- Edelsky ● Edelsky said that the floor was ‘a specific type of speaking turn that
contains the acknowledged going on within a psychological time/space’.
This happens in turns within a conversation between 2 people or more.
● In a work environment men usually speak for a longer time whereas
women were usually pressured into speaking for a shorter time and be
much more brief. Women are more likely to begin new topics however
men have ‘the floor’ much more often. Floor one was much more
prevalent whereas floor two, people are more likely to be cautious of the
time the spend dominating the floor.
● When generalized, it was found that ‘floors’ were held during formal
debates or other formal events, whereas ‘floors’ were developed in any
informal circumstances, such as lunch meetings or outings. It all
depends on what is had when having the ‘floor’.

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1982- Jenny ● She studied relationships between girls and boys and how it affected
Cheshire their grammar
● When put into groups, she found that when the same gendered groups
were talking together, they were more likely to conform against the
subject topic, therefore changing the way they speak around each other
● Suggests that variation in dialect is a conscious choice, influenced by
social attitude

1983- Fishman ● Focused on the use of tag questions used in a mixed gender
conversation. She found that tag questions are used by women after
declarative clauses in order to maintain/continue conversations with
males
● Used due to lack of confidence with conversation with men intimidation),
and helps women feel as though they have control of the conversation.

1989- Herbet ● Study is specifically concerned with the responses used by women in
and Straight all-female compliment exchanges in an under graduate level university
setting. Cross cultural comparison of German and Italian was used to
highlight any similarities or differences in compliment responses
● It was found that children were brought up to say ‘thank you’ to a
compliment but adults felt embarrassed when responding. Americans
were found that they tend to give out many compliments and accept few,
whereas South Africans would give out few and accept many. However
this can depend on social relations.
● This suggests that because relations (American) are obliged to use
stereotypes such as compliments in order to negotiate the relations
formed. Although most people will give out compliments frequently, few
will accept them.

1989- Jennifer ● She suggested that different styles of speaking are different because of
Coates all gendered friendship groups therefore creating gender stereotypes
within language.

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● An example she found was how women use epistemic modal forms
(perhaps; sort of, probably, etc) to avoid face-threatening facts. This is
seen as female co-operation.

1990- Deborah ● Created the Difference Theory which includes 6 different contrasts:
Tannen status vs support; advice vs understanding, independence vs intimacy,
information vs feelings, conflict vs compromise and order vs proposals.
● Found that through these contrasts, it changed both the way women
and men think and talk among each other. Women would want to have
support and understanding, whereas men are more likely to want to
stand alone and do things their own way.

1990 to 1991- ● An experiment was conducted, where male and female subjects would
Tracy and criticize either a superior or subordinate, acting as the respective

Heisenberg opposite - superior criticizing subordinates and vice versa. People who
knew little about what was happening were asked to judge the criticism
and structure of it.
● Different results were derived from this, which observed differences
between men and women. The research shows that women are more
caring and considerate when in the role of the superior, inversely so in
the role of the subordinate. Most criticisms started with positive
comments prefaced by negative comments and concluded with
feedback and that most people paid great attention to face value. Some
people rated low when paying attention to face value by making
personal attacks and strong reprimands for minor errors.

1992- Jane ● Conducted research on conversations in a bakery in 9 months so as to


Pilkington look at male and female conversations. Found that women talked to
affirm solidarity and maintain relationships, and men like to challenge
each others points of view and disagree.

1992- Janet ● Her study focused on whether men and women spoke differently and
‘whether the differences are related specifically to gender or,

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Holmes alternatively, to status and power.’


● She found that in doctor-patient conversations female doctors were
interrupted more often than male physicians. In addition, in business
organisations, men but not women tended to dominate the interactions.
This fits with this stereotype of men having more power and authority
and that they are superior to women, as brought about when men were
seen as the main breadwinner and women were stay at home wives and
mothers.

1992- Susan ● Study created to examine how computer-mediated discussion groups


Herring (such as chat forums, bulletin boards, etc) where individuals contributed
and exchanged information within a field of common interest, affected
participation by women
● She analysed the number of women contributors; the overall gender
difference in contribution, the average amount of words submitted by
each contributor, and the total amount of words that were contributed.
● It was found that women were less interested in the topics than men;
women were too busy, intimidated or fearful to participate.

2007- Coupland ● Found that Scottish and Edinburgh English showed higher prestige
and Bishop judgements than any other dialect
● However, Scottish people believed accents with a Celtic background
held a higher prestige (Irish, Welsh, etc). This shows changes in
authority of the Scottish accent!

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2008- Deborah ● One of Cameron's most famous pieces of work is Verbal Hygiene,
Cameron where she writes that she believes that there's a massive gender
diversity in language.
● She first blamed this on how children were taught the English language,
but she realized that all classes were mixed gender and that the same
basic rules of grammar were taught to everyone, young or old.
● She concluded that the spoken language, rather than depending on
gender, depended on lexis and context.

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