Week 5a - Gender and Politeness (Essay topic)

Question 1

Define positive face

Who, when?

Answer 1

Solidarity, the desire to be liked, appreciated, approved

Goffman 1967

Question 2

Define negative face

Who, when?

Answer 2

Deference, the desire not to be imposed upon or intruded

Goffman 1967

Question 3

Define politeness

Answer 3

Behaviour that actively expresses positive concern for others, as well as non-imposing behaviour

Question 4

Who spoke about women vs men politeness, when?

Answer 4

Holmes 1995

Question 5

What did Holmes say about women and politeness?

Answer 5

• Express their concerns for others more than men

- More polite than males

Question 6

What did Holmes say about men and politeness?

Answer 6

• More focussed on information rather than social meaning
• Concerned with status enhancement rather than relationships
• More competitive and less facilitative

Question 7

What are the aspects of politeness?

Answer 7

Tag questions, compliments and apologies

Question 8

How can a tag question be used?

Answer 8

• Uncertainty
• Challenging
• Facilitate someone into convo
• Softening

Question 9

How do men/women use tag questions?

Who, when?

Answer 9

Men use more for uncertainty, women use facilitative and softening tags

Holmes 1995

Question 10

What are the social consequences of compliments?

Answer 10

• Misunderstanding if there’s power asymmetry
• Broader range if used in intimate relationships
• Between strangers can be seen as insults or harassment

Question 11

How are compliments used by all females?

Answer 11

• Frequently
• Responses are rejection, re-assignment or minimised self-praise
• Reciprocated
• Exchange

Question 12

How are compliments used by all males?

Answer 12

• Infrequent
• Accept praise when responding
• Not reciprocated

Question 13

Who did a study on compliments, when?

Answer 13

Rees-Miller 2011

Question 14

What did Rees-Miller conclude in their study?

Answer 14

• Unstructured setting: women give and receive more compliments than men, majority on appearance
• Goal-orientated activities: men are as likely as women to give compliments, related to performance mostly

Question 15

Define apologies

Answer 15

Negative speech act used to restore equilibrium between two parties following an offence, threatens own faces

Question 16

How are apologies used by men and women?

Answer 16

• Women tend to apologise for lighter offences
• Women apologise more often to their close friends; men to strangers
• Women are more likely to accept apologies, men evade or ignore

Question 17

Conclusion in terms of apologies?

Answer 17

Men see it as a hierachy marking negative politeness marker, women as sense of solidarity and positive politeness

Question 18

What was said about women and politeness/stereotypes, who?

Answer 18

• Typical of white middle class behaviour
• Manners are the preserve of women
• Femininity associated with politeness, weakness and self effacement

Mills 2003

Question 19

What did Mills say about linguistics and politeness?

Answer 19

Should be more concerned with function of politeness in different groups and for different people

Question 20

What are the criticisms of politeness and women, who, when?

Answer 20

Mills 2003

• Holmes doesn’t show that women are in general more formally polite, but focuses on intention of speakers and analysis of formal features
• Assumes that men and women are different and that they conform to stereotypes with their lang.

Question 21

What did Holmes say about women and power?

Answer 21

1995

Should be cautious with relating power and politeness

Subordinate status may account more for the way women’s talk is interpreted and perceived