Gender: 13

Question 1

How do we think about gender?

Answer 1

Sex and gender concepts are influenced by cultural social norms and practices

Question 2

Gender is built upon . . .

Answer 2

A set of culturally historically specific practices that amplify, simplify, and give meaning to perceived or biological differences.

Question 3

Who proposed the four characteristics of gender?

Answer 3

Erket, and Ginet

Question 4

What are the four characteristics of gender?

Answer 4

1. Gender is learned
2. Gender is collaborative
3. Gender performative (not something we have, but something that we do)
4. Gender involves asymmetry

Question 5

What is markedness and how does it relate to gender linguistics?

Answer 5

a linguistic mark/term used to refer to women
a. This makes us ask what is being taken for granted and what is the implied default
- Ex: a default is a“Masculine ways of speaking” are often considered an unmarked way
b. Grammatical categories and pronouns use of he, and she (forms the ideology of who people are and how they should be treated).

Question 6

Is markedness and pronouns used in all languages?

Answer 6

No, for example older Arabic women normally use generalized pronouns when talking to other women.

Question 7

What is indirect indexicality?

Answer 7

The association of linguistic forms with social groups that are believed to take certain stances
- “How might certain styles, forms or discourses be pointing to gendered norms or codes?

Question 8

Do men and women speak differently?

Answer 8

According to Deborah Tannen the difference between men and women were
1. “rapport talk (women)
2. “report talk (men)

Question 9

What was the problem with Tannins proposition?

Answer 9

1. This was based on her own experience and anecdotal evidence
2. Gendered differences were assumed rather than investigated
   Empirical studies disproved many of these stereotypes

Question 10

How do we challenge these sterotypes?

Answer 10

Study the specific contexts, and start from the interactions rather than assuming gender differences

Question 11

How can you study language?

Answer 11

Focus not on pre-existing differences but on actual practice, to then see if there are differences
that fall along gender lines.
- Focus on specific activities or commonalities of practice

Question 12

What is Gossip/rapport talk?

Answer 12

The discussion of people, who are known to the participants but are not currently present

This affirms solidarity of in-group by constructing absent others as ‘out group.’

Question 13

What did Erket say about about women gender stereotypes?

Answer 13

She studied high-school students and demonstrated that:
1. Gender stereotypes do not hold ground.
2. In some cases, gossip was a gendered practice: because of social class background and upbringing, certain young women were more likely to engage in gossip.
Remember: we are socialized into particular kinds of behaviours

Question 14

What are two examples of gender socialization in school?

Answer 14

Camerons study, the study of the word “fag” in a high school.

Question 15

what was camerons study and what did it claim?

Answer 15

The student claimed that: Young men in this conversation display heteronormative behavior (Through topics of discussion, such as sports)

a. Her student provided only a partial analysis
b. The young men in this interaction engaged in gossip – talking about others who weren’t there
c. They achieved normative gender identities by using linguistic practices stereotypically associated with femininity

Question 16

What is toxic masculinity, and how does it relate to language?

Answer 16

a term used to describe a set of harmful behaviours and attitudes that are often associated with masculinity.
- it relates to language because it shapes the manner in which boys talk, and relate to each other (forming the structure of a conversation).