Week 7 - Language and Masculinities (Non-essay)

Question 1

What are the issues with masculinities in linguistics?

Answer 1

• Male language is ignored, focus on women (eg. dominance, deficit and difference)
• Differences between masculinity and femininity ignored

Question 2

Why should we investigate men?

Answer 2

• Masculinities are not traits we have but performances we do
• They are gendered individuals, not just the elected representatives of humanity (Johnson 1997)

Question 3

What is masculinity?

Answer 3

• Discursive practices (eg. text, talk)
• Formed in institutions
• Historical

Question 4

Define hegemonic masculinity

Name and date

Answer 4

Connell 1995

The dominant, normal masculinity

• Common sense
• Institutionally ratified

Question 5

What are the key concepts of masculinity?

Name and date

Answer 5

• Rationality
• Heterosexuality
• Hierarchy (subordinates lower in hierarchy)
• Dominance
• Violence (military, sports)
• Breadwinner

Connell 1995

Question 6

Who wrote about male identities, when?

Answer 6

Kiesling 1997

Question 7

What did Kiesling’s study consist of?

Answer 7

• Study of US fraternity
• How does the frats ideology and immediate speech situation work together to constrain members
• Male presents himself in certain way due to being frat member, gains status by having right identity

Question 8

Who spoke about masculinity on TV?

When, key points?

Answer 8

Greyson Perry 2016

• Conditioning, not innate
• Evolves in childhood

Question 9

Who studied unemployed men?

When, key points?

Answer 9

• Willott and Griffin 1997
• Studied long-term unemployed men
• Group discussions
• Men felt disempowered
• Don’t like being expected breadwinner
• Pressurised by women

Question 10

What is the structure of men’s talk?

Answer 10

• No overlap
• Avoid self-disclosure
• Questions which encourage speakers to play expert

Question 11

What does men’s competitive style consist of?

Name, when?

Answer 11

• Topic choice
• Monologues
• Playing expert
• Questions
• Verbal sparring
• Turn-taking patterns

Coates 2004

Question 12

Who studied men’s stories?

Answer 12

Coates 2004

Question 13

What are key features of male stories?

Answer 13

Topic: Cars, tech, porn, games, sport

Characters: Mostly male

Taboo Language

Stories of achievement

Emotional restraint

Having a laugh

Competition and collab.

Masculinity and homophobia

Question 14

Summarise readings

Names and dates

Answer 14

Edley and Wetherall 1997

• Masculinity represented by hard/sporty boys, others suffer in school, alienated

Baxter and Wallace 2009

• Builders
• In group/out group dichotomy
• Absence of females as topic
• Women aren’t in profession