Theorys On Gender

Question 1

What was Otto Jespersen’s theory on gender?

Answer 1

• Women talk more as they speak before they thought about what they’re going to do
• Women use adjectives such as “pretty” and “nice”, they are also fond of saying “so pretty” and “so nice” (intensifiers)
• Women use adverbs and hyperbole frequently
• Women have a smaller vocabulary than men
• Women know their smaller vocabulary so well that they are more fluent in speaking and less hesitant then man, who are searching for the precise word in their large vocabulary
• Novels written by women are easier to read
• Women by virtue of their nature “shrank from coarse and gross expressions” and have a preference for euphemisms

Question 2

What was Robin Lakoffs theory on gender?

Answer 2

• She argued that language is fundamental to gender inequality
• Women speak less often, show they are listening with small responses of “mm” and “okay”, speak more quietly than men, and tend to use the higher pitch of their voices, use hyper correct grammar and pronunciation, standard English and clear communication, use hedges and fillers more often, apologise more, use tag questions more often
• Women make more emotional rather then logical evaluations than men

Question 3

What was William O’Barr and Bowman Atkins theory on language?

Answer 3

• Language ideas are situation specific, relying on who has the authority and power in the conversation, rather than the gender
• Studied courtroom cases for 30 months, and found out Lakoffs claimed differences in speech were based on the situation

Question 4

What was Esther Griefs theory on language?

Answer 4

• Grief examined gender differences in the use of interruptions and simultaneous speech during conversations between parents and school children
• Participants were 16 children ages 2-5 and both their parents, each parent/child pair engaged in semi structured play for 30 minutes
• There were no significant differences between boys and girls in the use of these two factors, however fathers interrupted more and spoke simultaneously more than their mothers did
• Both parents were more likely to interrupt their daughters and to speak simultaneously with their daughters. Results were discussed in relation to the power differences between men and women and has been used to support the dominance model

Question 5

What is Geoffrey Beattie’s theory on language?

Answer 5

• Claims to have recorded 10 hours of tutorial discussion between men and women
• Beattie found that women and men interrupted with more or less equal frequency (men 34.1 and women at 33.8). Men did interrupt more but by a margin so insignificant it’s not classifiable

Question 6

What is Dale Splender’s theory on language?

Answer 6

• Advocates a reduced view of language as embodying structures that sustain male power
• Claims that it is difficult to challenge this power system since the way that we think of the world is part of and reinforces this male power

Question 7

What is Pamela Fishman’s theory on language?

Answer 7

• Argues that conversation between the sexes sometimes fails, not because of anything inherent in the way women talk but because of how men respond, or don’t respond
• Women do “conversational shitwork”
• Claims that questions are an attribute to interactions, and can make other people feel included

Question 8

What is Jennifer Coates theory on language?

Answer 8

• Leans in favour of the difference model
• Theorises that girls and boys develop different styles of speaking due to their largely different interactions in their all boys and all girls friendship groups
• Girls and boys tend to stay to same sex groups where they will sit apart from one another and avoid confrontation, and when it is required it’s normally antagonistic
• It has been observed that peer pressure groups of a child is directly influential upon their social linguistic development, and gender is the main principle with gender stereotyping
• Coates acknowledges the tendency of girls to stick to smaller groups, where their relationship is based predominantly on talk where as boys will adhere to play in larger hierarchical groups, where are based on a join activity where there is often a “boss”
• Coates theorises that girls learn to create and maintain relationships of closeness and equality, criticise others in acceptable ways, and to interpret accurately the speech of other girls
• While boys are more inclined to assert a position of dominance, to attract and maintain an audience, and to assert themselves when someone else has the floor

Question 9

What is Deborah Tannens theory on language?

Answer 9

• She believes the difference between men and women talk start in childhood, where parents use more words about feelings toward girls and use more verbs to boys
• Status Vs Support, men see language as a means of asserting dominance, women see is as a way of confirming/supporting others
• Independence Vs Intimacy, men go at it alone, women seek support
• Advice Vs Understanding, men see language as a problem solving method, women see it as a means of empathy
• Information Vs Feeling, men are concerned with the facts, women with emotions
• Orders Vs Proposals, men use imperatives, females use hidden directives
• Conflict Vs Compromise, men will argue, women will seek a middle ground

Question 10

What is Janet Holmes theory on language?

Answer 10

-Tag questions rather then showing uncertainty, could function as a device to help maintain discussion or to be polite and include others

Question 11

What was Jane Pilkington’s theory on language?

Answer 11

-Women in same sex talk were more collaborative than men in all male talk