the dominance model Flashcards
what does the dominance approach believe?
the belief that the language differences between men and women can be explained by the hierarchical dominance of men in society.
this arose from the second wave feminist movement. men are positioned above women in social and political power; males use conversation to reinforce this power.
what were zimmerman and west’s suggested implications of male interruptions?
‘i’m number 1, your number 2’ - male have priority
what did zimmerman and west say the folk linguistic axiom of women talking more than men was?
that men interrupt at 25 syllables, women interrupt at 12
what did zimmerman and west say the straggles were that women used for regaining conversational control?
- speaking louder
- recycling portions of what they are saying (repetition)
what is zimmerman and west’s final advice to both men and women?
women to demand the floor and take responsibility - withdrawing of support
how did fisherman acquire her data regarding male and female speech patterns?
fishman focused on tag questions, listening to 52 hours of pre-recorded conversations between 3 american couples
did fishman agree or disagree with lakoff regarding the frequency of tag questions in female speech?
she agreed with lakoff’s findings that tag questions were far more commonly used by women (4x more than men). however, the conclusion she drew from this was very different.
while lakoff claimed that tag questions represented uncertainty, fishman argued that, for females, questions are actually used to start conversations with males and to subsequently continue and sustain dialogue.
according to fishman, what is the function of female tag questions in conversation?
females use tag questions to gain conversational power rather than as a sign of tentativeness
what memorable name does fishman give to the action of initiating and sustaining a conversation?
‘conversational shitwork’
how do men demonstrate their dominance in conversation, according to the dominance model?
the majority of research which supports this model was carried out in the 1970s and early 1980s. it focuses on how men are dominant in speech through speaking more,interrupting, holding the floor and initiating and shifting topics
