Oral Culture Flashcards
Maltz and Borker
- 1982
- Women take an absence of response or a small amount of response as a sign that they aren’t being listened to
- A woman’s “mhm” means “I’m listening”, whereas a man’s usually means “I agree”. This also applies to other minimal responses such as “yeah” and “okay”
Reid-Thomas
- 1993
- Played recorded extracts from real conversations to male and female judges who were asked what they thought the minimal responses meant
- Both sexes interpreted some examples as “I agree” and others as “I’m listening” and there was near-unamity on which examples were which. The judge’s interpretations were based on context rather than gender
O’Barr and Atkins
- Conducted research on language in American courtrooms in the 1980s. All participants who took the stand, whether male or female, used a variety of features associated with powerless language
- They concluded that powerful language therefore relied on context instead of gender
Dubois and Crouch
- 1975
- Men use tag questions, but for different purposes in conversation than women
Janet Holmes
- 1992
- Tag questions may not suggest uncertainty, but may maintain a discussion or help to be polite. Hedges and fillers can act as politeness or boosting devices
Jane Pilkington
- 1992
- Women are more collaborative than men in same-sex talks. Women aim for more positive strategies but men are less complimentary and supportive in same-sex talks
Deborah Jones - Four Types of Female Communication
- Bitching
- Scandal
- House Talk
- Chatting
Deborah Jones - “Bitching”
Overt expressions of woman’s anger at inferior status or restricted roles. They express this in private and with other women only. Women who “bitch” aren’t expecting change, but only want to express anger in an environment of understanding
Deborah Jones - “Scandal”
Judgement of the behaviour of others (women in particular). Usually made in terms of domestic morality, of which woman have been appointed guardians
Deborah Jones - “House Talk”
The exchange of information and resources connected with the female role as an occupation
Deborah Jones - “Chatting”
An intimate form of gossip, a mutual self-disclosure, a transaction where women use to their own advantage the skills they’ve learned from their role of supporting others
Referential Tags
Signal factual uncertainty or lack of information
Affective (Facilitative) Tags
Expresses intimacy and solidarity
Affective (Softening) Tags
Makes a demand sound less like an order and more like a question
- 1982
- Women take an absence of response or a small amount of response as a sign that they aren’t being listened to
- A woman’s “mhm” means “I’m listening”, whereas a man’s usually means “I agree”. This also applies to other minimal responses such as “yeah” and “okay”
Maltz and Borker
