Language and Gender Flashcards
deficit theory
Robin Lakoff (it was her personal observation - no research)
criteria for Deficit theory
-women don’t swear
-women speak less frequently
- apologise more
-use empty adjectives
-question like intonation
-hyper correct grammar
two people who were against deficit
O’Barr and Atkins
O’Barr and Atkins
did language studies in courtrooms. They concluded that some of Lakoff’s findings were correct, but language is based on situation specific authority and power. NOT gender
who supported Deficit theory
Pamela Fishmen
Pamela Fishmen
she said that women use more tag questions.
they use backchannel (m. aha)
and do conversational shitwork - due to inferior position in life
who did the study on Tag questions
Janet Holmes
- tag question used more by men
Referential - to reduce uncertainty
- tag question used more by women
facilitative - express solidarity and intimacy
- tag question used more by both
softening - weakening a command
another linguist against Deficit
Rosalin Wiseman
Rosalin Wiseman
women are not always super polite, kind, cute etc
women have aggression
Jennifer Coates
Keeping a conversation going is a sign of intelligence and power, and shows manners, but not weakness or insecurity.
research by Coates and Cameron
kids speak on similar topics, regardless gender
Dominance theory
Dale Spendor
Dale Spendor
english is asymmetrical in the favour of man
e.g Lord(higher rank) vs Lady (all)
King(power) vs Queen (less power)
Mister (power) vs Mistress (sexual connotation)
two men who support Dominance
Zimmerman and West
Zimmerman and West
did a study and concluded that men interrupt 96% of the time
the study was criticised by being too limited.
linguistis dont take it seriously today
another interruption study - against Dominance
Geoff Beattie
Geoff Beattie
study done in 1982
man and women interrupt the same amount of time
man do a tiny bit more
study against dominance
Papa New Guinea: in some places women will have more power. when there is a conflict women will shout scream and curse. man is expected to be quite.
These women will do it in the stereotypical western man fashion way
Prooving not everywhere men are dominant
Difference theory
Deborah Tannen
Deborah Tannen
the idea that we learn how to be a man and a woman sicne childhood. Better to refer to it as a speech style rather women’s speech.
both genders are comfortabe with their roles
Deborah Tannen - 1
i vs f
information VS feelings
Deborah Tannen - 2
a vs u
advice VS understanding
Deborah Tannen - 3
s vs s
status VS support
Deborah Tannen - 4
c vs c
conflict VS compromise
who supported difference theory
Deborah Jones
Deborah Jones
women’s types of talks
women’s types of talks 1
h. t
house talk - info based on women’s roles
women’s types of talks 2
s
scandal - talk about behaviour of others
women’s types of talks 3
b
bitching - expressing anger, without a desire to change anything just to complain
women’s types of talks 4
ch
chatting - intimate form of gossip
Judith Butler
gender performativity - the ‘script’ of gender performance is effortlesly transmitted genenration to generation in form of socially established ‘meanings’
folklinguist + a book
John Grey:
‘women are from venus. men are from mars’
no research
John Grey
When women are talking a lot of brain parts are engaged.
men has fewer verbal centres, so it’s harder to express emotions
conversational brain part - smaller in man
Lise Eliot
(meta-analysis) brain scan study - 6000 scans
no difference
who was against Difference theory
Janet Hyde
Janet Hyde
Gender similarity hypothesis
went through hundreds of lang and gender studies
concluded that there are such minor differences, that are statistically insignificant
Victoria Bergvall
the more we talk about the difference the more it appears to be real and big
Diversity theory
Deborah Cameron
Deborah Tannen and interruptions 1
cooperative overlap - shows support
Deborah Tannen and interruptions 2
competitive overlap - to gain control
Deborah Cameron
there is no biological difference
rather the societal expectations from each gender
we use lang to fulfil the role and order in society
beliefs that men and women speak differently leads to job discrimination
Deborah Tannen 5
f vs f
facts VS feelings
Deborah Tannen 6
c vs c
competitive VS cooperative
Louann Brizendine
women speak 20 000 words per day
men speak 7 000 words per day
James Pannebaker
did a true research
number of words id THE SAME
women - 16 215
men - 15 669
Janet Holmes (Compliments)
woman gives 70% of compliments
woman receives 75% of compliments COMPLIMENTED on appearance
man give other man compliment 10% of times
COMPLIMENTED on abilities and possessions
