Gender Theory Flashcards Master

Question 1

Whose research can be linked to the deficit model?

Answer 1

Robin Lakoff & Otto Jespersen

Question 2

What is the central idea behind the deficit theory in language and gender studies?

Answer 2

The deficit theory suggests that women’s language is inferior to men’s, with male language seen as the standard

Question 3

Name 2 of the language features in Lakoff’s Deficit Model?

Answer 3

Hedges, super-politeness, hypercorrectness, tag questions, apologies, empty adjectives, use of implication, intensifiers, question intonation, diminutives

Question 4

Whose research criticised Lakoff?

Answer 4

O’Barr and Atkins

Question 5

Who is Robin Lakoff and what is her contribution to the deficit theory?

Answer 5

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.

Question 6

What did O’Barr & Atkins find in their criticism?

Answer 6

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.

Question 7

Who was Otto Jespersen and what did he contribute to the deficit theory?

Answer 7

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.

Question 8

What is “folk linguistics” and how does it relate to Jespersen’s claims?

Answer 8

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.

Question 9

The Dominance Model is a response to which model?

Answer 9

The Deficit Model

Question 10

What is the main idea behind the dominance theory in the context of language and gender?

Answer 10

The dominance theory posits that men’s language is superior and holds more dominance in society, while women’s language is seen as inferior.

Question 11

The Dominance Model states that men deliberately behave in an uncooperative way when talking to women in order to?

Answer 11

Undermine and dominate them.

Question 12

What does the dominance theory suggest about authority in interactions between men and women?

Answer 12

It suggests that men have more authority over women, and women are expected to be submissive.

Question 13

Whose research can be linked to the dominance model?

Answer 13

Spender, Fishman , Zimmerman and West

Question 14

According to Dale Spender, how is language “man-centric”?

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Zimmerman and West looked at dominance through?

Answer 15

Turn taking

Question 16

Which two irregularities in turn taking did Zimmerman and West look at?

Answer 16

Overlaps and Interruptions

Question 17

Interruptions are seen as v _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ of the turn taking process

Answer 17

Violations

Question 18

According to Zimmerman and West, in mixed sex interactions - interruptions are far more common in which gender?

Answer 18

Men

Question 19

What is the criticism of Zimmerman and West?

Answer 19

Very small sample size, their classification of an interruption

Question 20

How did Pamela Fishman study language and gender in American couples?

Answer 20

Pamela Fishman recorded and analysed 52 hours of conversations between young American couples in their homes.

Question 21

Fishman noted that women used the tag question ‘y’know’ how many times more than men?

Answer 21

5 times

Question 22

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.

Answer 22

response

Question 23

What did Janet Holmes’s study find that is contrary to Lakoff’s claims?

Answer 23

That men and women use the same number of tags

Question 24

Fishman said that women undertake ‘C _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ S _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and adapt their conversations to help men.

Answer 24

‘Conversational Shitwork’

Question 25

What does Fishman mean when she describes women as doing "interactional shitwork"?

Answer 25

Fishman used this term to describe how women do the active maintenance in conversation, working harder to initiate and sustain dialogue, often using techniques to gain conversational power because men respond minimally

Question 26

How does Spender interpret women's silence in conversations?

Answer 26

Spender interprets women's silence, fewer turns speaking/shorter contributions/ being interrupted and corrected or ignored, as a form of oppression

Question 27

What is the core belief of the difference theory in language and gender studies?

Answer 27

The difference theory suggests that men and women have innate differences in their styles and functions of speech and writing due to socialisation

Question 28

The Difference Model states that men and women use language for different?

Answer 28

purposes

Question 29

Who is Deborah Tannen, and what is her main contribution to the difference theory?

Answer 29

Deborah Tannen is a key proponent of the difference theory, arguing that men and women learn different ways of communicating through socialisation, which influences them in adult life. Her book, You Just Don't Understand, illustrates the various ways that men and women use language through 6 contrasts

Question 30

According to Tannen, what is a key way in which male-female conversation can be described?

Answer 30

Tannen stated that "Male-female conversation is cross-cultural communication"

Question 31

Tannen said that men and women's language is different because of differences in upbringing and social _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Answer 31

conditioning

Question 32

According to Tannen, women's conversation is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ talk and is used to establish and maintain relationships.

Answer 32

rapport

Question 33

According to Tannen, men's conversation is _ _ _ _ _ _ talk and is predominantly used to give information.

Answer 33

report

Question 34

What is the binary opposite of the following: Status v _________

Answer 34

support

Question 35

What is the binary opposite of the following: Independence v _________

Answer 35

Intimacy

Question 36

What is the binary opposite of the following: advice v __________

Answer 36

understanding

Question 37

What is the binary opposite of the following: information v __________

Answer 37

Feelings

Question 38

What is the binary opposite of the following: orders v __________

Answer 38

Proposals

Question 39

What is the main idea behind the diversity model in language and gender studies?

Answer 39

The diversity model suggests that a speaker's experience and status have more of an effect on their speech than their gender. It recognises the importance of individual differences among men and women.

Question 40

How does the diversity model view gender in relation to other aspects of identity?

Answer 40

It views gender as one element of identity and considers the intersectionality of different aspects of identity.

Question 41

What is intersectionality?

Answer 41

Intersectionality, is the concept of viewing gender as one element of our identity while considering different aspects of our identity. The diversity model incorporates intersectionality. It moves away from the idea of simply comparing genders against each other, and acknowledges the importance of individual differences among men and women.

Question 42

The Diversity Model opposes ideas of "biological d _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ "

Answer 42

determinism

Question 43

According to the Diversity Model, what is language influenced by?

Answer 43

The roles we play in society and the way we interact socially with others.

Question 44

How does Jenny Cheshire's Reading study (1982) support the diversity model?

Answer 44

Cheshire considered male and female differences but also considered individual differences in the use of non-standard linguistic forms by teenagers. She found that the use of non standard English and slang was linked to the teen's subculture.

Question 45

What did Cheshire find about girls' language use in relation to prestige forms?

Answer 45

Cheshire found that girls tended more than boys to alter their language to a prestige form when speaking to their teacher.

Question 46

According to Cheshire, what was a key factor in girls' use of nonstandard forms?

Answer 46

The degree to which they felt affiliated to the local youth subculture of appearing tough.

Question 47

What is the name of Janet Hyde's Hypothesis?

Answer 47

Gender Similarities Hypothesis

Question 48

What does Janet Hyde claim in her hypothesis?

Answer 48

That there are far more similarities between female and male speech than differences.

Question 49

What did O'Barr and Atkins discover in their Courtroom Study?

Answer 49

that the differences that Lakoff identified are not necessarily the result of being a woman, but of being powerless.

Question 50

O'Barr and Atkins discovered that the differences that Lakoff identified are not necessarily the result of being a woman, but are a result of being _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Answer 50

Powerless

Question 51

O'Barr and Atkins suggested that the features described by Lakoff as 'Women's Language' should be re-named to?

Answer 51

Powerless Language

Question 52

Deborah Cameron argues that sex difference in language is a _ _ _

Answer 52

myth

Question 53

Cameron argues that women speak more because _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ means more to women

Answer 53

communication

Question 54

Cameron argues that men use language competitively to gain

Answer 54

status

Question 55

Cameron argues that men and women talk so differently that m _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ often arises between the sexes

Answer 55

miscommunication

Question 56

Cameron argues that language is a p _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Answer 56

peformance

Question 57

Cameron used the phrase v _ _ _ _ _ h _ _ _ _ _ _ to refer to the ways in which people regulate their language and communication to conform to social expectations and norms.

Answer 57

'verbal hygiene'

Question 58

What is verbal hygiene, according to Deborah Cameron?

Answer 58

Verbal Hygiene is a term coined by Deborah Cameron (1995) to describe the political correctness movement that sought to ‘clean up’ language and avoid sexist or discriminatory language.

Question 59

Who introduced the theory of gender performativity?

Answer 59

Judith Butler introduced the theory of gender performativity in their 1990 text Gender Trouble.

Question 60

What is the main idea behind performativity theory in language and gender studies?

Answer 60

Performativity theory suggests that gender is constructed by individuals and is something that we "do" rather than what we "are".

Question 61

Butler say that gender is not linked to biology. Instead, it is a series of r _ _ _ _ _ a _ _ _ that imitate expected gender roles and norms that we repeat constantly.

Answer 61

Ritual Acts

Question 62

What does Butler mean when they say that gender is not a "costume"?

Answer 62

Butler explains that gender is not something one puts on and takes off, but rather an act that creates an identity

Question 63

According to Butler, how does performing gender "correctly" affect an individual's role in society?

Answer 63

Performing gender “correctly” gives us a designated role in society and allows us to be recognized as a full, “real” subject.

Question 64

Butler believes that _ _ _ _ _ _ is constructed through language, not the other way round

Answer 64

Gender

Question 65

Butler claims that _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ performances expose the performative nature of femininity

Answer 65

Drag Queen

Question 66

In drag, men perform the gender norms we expect of women. They show that behaviour that seems natural and linked to biology is, in fact a _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ determined performance.

Answer 66

Socially

Question 67

In imitating gender, drag reveals the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ structure of gender itself.

Answer 67

imitative

Question 68

Cameron believes that any noticeable language differences in gender are because of the e _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ placed on us by society and not because of biological.

Answer 68

expectations