Gender Theory Flashcards Master
Whose research can be linked to the deficit model?
Robin Lakoff & Otto Jespersen
What is the central idea behind the deficit theory in language and gender studies?
The deficit theory suggests that women’s language is inferior to men’s, with male language seen as the standard
Name 2 of the language features in Lakoff’s Deficit Model?
Hedges, super-politeness, hypercorrectness, tag questions, apologies, empty adjectives, use of implication, intensifiers, question intonation, diminutives
Whose research criticised Lakoff?
O’Barr and Atkins
Who is Robin Lakoff and what is her contribution to the deficit theory?
Robin Lakoff is a linguist who, in her 1975 book, Language and Woman’s Place, suggested that women’s language includes features that highlight their uncertainty and powerlessness.
What did O’Barr & Atkins find in their criticism?
O’Barr and Atkins’ courtroom study found that the “women’s language” features Lakoff identified were more closely linked to powerlessness than gender, as men also used these features when in a less powerful position.
Who was Otto Jespersen and what did he contribute to the deficit theory?
Otto Jespersen was a Danish linguist who, in 1922, suggested women talk a lot, use simpler words, and are emotional, not grammatical. His work is now considered folk linguistics.
What is “folk linguistics” and how does it relate to Jespersen’s claims?
Folk linguistics refers to basic and flawed ideas about language that are anecdotal rather than based on reliable research. Jespersen’s work is considered folk linguistics because his claims about women’s language were not based on sound research methods.
The Dominance Model is a response to which model?
The Deficit Model
What is the main idea behind the dominance theory in the context of language and gender?
The dominance theory posits that men’s language is superior and holds more dominance in society, while women’s language is seen as inferior.
The Dominance Model states that men deliberately behave in an uncooperative way when talking to women in order to?
Undermine and dominate them.
What does the dominance theory suggest about authority in interactions between men and women?
It suggests that men have more authority over women, and women are expected to be submissive.
Whose research can be linked to the dominance model?
Spender, Fishman , Zimmerman and West
According to Dale Spender, how is language “man-centric”?
Gender marked terms - e.g. chairman, Asymmetry of language e.g. master and mistress - language rules created by English grammarians that centered around the idea of male firstness e.g. boys and girls
Zimmerman and West looked at dominance through?
Turn taking
Which two irregularities in turn taking did Zimmerman and West look at?
Overlaps and Interruptions
Interruptions are seen as v _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ of the turn taking process
Violations
According to Zimmerman and West, in mixed sex interactions - interruptions are far more common in which gender?
Men
What is the criticism of Zimmerman and West?
Very small sample size, their classification of an interruption
How did Pamela Fishman study language and gender in American couples?
Pamela Fishman recorded and analysed 52 hours of conversations between young American couples in their homes.
Fishman noted that women used the tag question ‘y’know’ how many times more than men?
5 times
Fishman claimed that tag questions such as ‘y’know’ are used as an attempt by the woman speaking to stimulate a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ from her male interlocutor.
response
What did Janet Holmes’s study find that is contrary to Lakoff’s claims?
That men and women use the same number of tags
Fishman said that women undertake ‘C _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ S _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and adapt their conversations to help men.
‘Conversational Shitwork’