Theorists for Language and Gender - Taboo Language

Question 1

Who did a study in 1981?

Answer 1

Gomm

Question 2

What did Gomm’s study look at?

Answer 2

How often men and women swear within conversations

Question 3

What did Gomm’s study find?

Answer 3

Men swear more than women, it shows authority and power

Question 4

What were the different conversations that Gomm looked at?

Answer 4

5 all women conversations
5 all male conversations
4 mixed conversations

Question 5

How often did each of the people swear within the conversations that Gomm looked at?

Answer 5

All women - 7 times
All men - 21 times
Mixed - men = 4 times, women = 2 times

Question 6

Who did a study in 2003?

Answer 6

Coates

Question 7

What did Coates’ study look at?

Answer 7

How often men and women swore within a conversational narrative

Question 8

What did Coates’ study find?

Answer 8

Men’s stories = lots of taboo language

Women’s stories = virtually no taboo language

Question 9

What was the one swear word which women used in all women conversations? (Coates)

Answer 9

Bloody

Question 10

What did Coates find about mixed conversational narratives?

Answer 10

Men used less taboo language than usual

Women used more taboo language than usual