Language and Gender Flashcards
Who is Robin Lakoff?
A language and gender theorist, who analysed how men and women appear to speak differently
What is Lakoff’s book called?
Language and Women’s Place
What are examples of hedges?
Sort of
Kind of
It seems like
What are examples of empty adjectives?
Divine
Adorable
Gorgeous
What are examples of super - polite forms?
Would you mind
Is it okay if
If it’s not too much trouble
What are examples of italics?
So
Very
Quite
What are examples of speaking less frequently?
Coined by Lakoff, meaning men speak a lot more than women
What are examples of apologising more?
I’m sorry
Really sorry
Forgive me
What are examples of avoiding cursing?
Coined by Lakoff, women avoid expletives and swearing
What are examples of indirect requests?
It’s awfully cold in here
I’m so hungry
I’m really tired
What are examples of tag questions?
Do you?
Isn’t it?
Are we?
What are examples of hyper - correct grammar?
Prestige grammar
Clear articulation
What are Lakoff’s coined terms?
Hedges Empty adjectives Super - polite forms Italics Speak less frequently Apologise more Avoid cursing Indirect requests Tag questions Hyper - correct grammar
Who are O’barr and Atkins?
William O’barr and Bowman Atkins, are two language and gender theorists who challenged and disagreed with Lakoff, saying that langauge differences aren’t down to gender
What did O’barr and Atkins carry out?
They decided to study courtroom cases for thirty months, examining the men and women in court for the ten differences which Lakoff coined. They stated that ‘differences aren’t down to being male or female, but being in a powerless situation’
Who are Zimmerman and West?
Don Zimmerman and Candace West studied overlaps and interruptions between men and women
What were Zimmerman and West’s findings?
They found that 96% of interruptions, within conversations, were made by men
Who challenged Zimmerman and West?
Geoffrey Beattie
What did Geoffrey Beattie argue to challenge Zimmerman and West?
Beattie argued that ‘interruptions may happen due to nervousness or excitement, not necessarily because men are stereotyped as being louder and ruder than women’.
What did Pamela Fishman carry out?
Fishman conducted an experiment that involved listening to 52 hours of pre-recorded conversations between young, American, white, heterosexual couples.
What were Pamela Fishmans findings?
She found that women do use more tag questions than men, simply to make sure that the male occupant is still engaged in conversation. Although, many people disagree with her theory, as she carried out an unfair and biased experiment.
What did Julia Stanley say about women and men?
Stanley states that ‘there are 220 derogatory terms to describe women, whereas there are only 20 to describe men’.
Stanley goes on to say that most derogatory terms for men, have derogatory women’s terms within them.
Give three examples of men’s derogatory terms, which have elements of women’s derogatory terms in them…
Manwhore - whore
Manslag - slag
Manslut - slut
