1 / 23

Language and Gender

Language and Gender. Differences between male and female speech noticed some time ago Not studied systematically until recently Some are very obvious – pronouns Other differences are discovered by sociolinguistic research . Some gender differences.

teresa
Download Presentation

Language and Gender

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Language and Gender • Differences between male and female speech noticed some time ago • Not studied systematically until recently • Some are very obvious – pronouns • Other differences are discovered by sociolinguistic research

  2. Some gender differences • Reports of different male and female languages usually exaggerated • differences in language shift • different dialects or accents • marrying out

  3. Japanese Japanese • different phonology, morphology and vocabulary • supposedly reflect the role of women as polite, gentle, passive

  4. continued • Women’s form -- men’s form (traditional Japanese) • Otoosan oyaji (father) • Onaka hara (stomach) • Taberu kuu (eat)

  5. Hlonipha • Hlonipha • Xhosa-speaking women must avoid syllables in their in-laws’ names • replaced with deletions, paraphrase, loan words

  6. continued • Respect for husband’s family • inferior status of women • Result – a lot words used only by women

  7. Language and gender in English • English – differences less obvious --phonological • Linked to social class • studies of language and social class also showed gender differences • Applies in many places in UK, US, Australia, new Zealand

  8. continued • In NYC women used post-vocalic /r/ more often • Norwich – women used –ing, men used –in more often • Tyneside men used glottalised –p more often

  9. continued • Verbal duelling – typically masculine • Yo momma – white chicks • Rap battles – Eight Mile • Turkish rhymed insults • English football chants

  10. Gender and Language change • Studies of linguistic change in Norwich, Engliand and Belfast, N Ireland • Men lead change from below • vernacular forms spread upwards – glottalisation in British English

  11. continued • Women lead change from above • Introduce standard forms • Mrs Hall rather than Mizall in Leeds

  12. Language and networks • Belfast – women worked outside community – introduced new forms from outside • Similar pattern among African Americans in South Carolina islands

  13. Language and Identity • Language used to express identity but gender variation • “Jocks” and “Burnouts” in Detroit suburban high schools • identified with suburbs and city • Gender differences

  14. continued • Burnout girls adopted urban rather than suburban forms but less than boys • Occasionally used taboo words in single sex groups • Boys frequently • Jock boys used taboo words in SSGs but not in front of women

  15. Explanations of gender difference • Attempt to acquire social status by using standard forms – probably true of NYC • Women forced to use distinctive forms as a sign of inferiority –Xhosa • Women as guardians of cultural values –unlikely to explain interaction with children

  16. continued • Standard forms are considered polite – politeness is not required of superior groups • Expression of machismo • Gender sorting at a young age – differences appear at 6 in some cases • Probably all true in different degrees in different places

  17. Language and discourse • Men talk more than women, especially in public • Men interrupt women more than vice-versa • Women are more supportive of other speakers

  18. continued • Women more likely to use hedges • Men more likely to use boosters • Women more likely to use compliments • But problems of method and bias

  19. Language and Discourse • Why is there no ‘K’ in J.K. Rowling’s birth certificate

  20. Sexist language • Masculine gender to include women • Negative connotations of feminine words • Master -- mistress • Working girl • Sir – madam • Wizard – witch • Many words for sexually promiscuous women • But rent boy, toy boy

  21. Non-sexist language • Movement especially in US • He becomes he or she • Fireman – firefighter • Policeman – police officer • Mrs/miss becomes ms

  22. Explanations • Physical – may explain intonation but not much else • Genetic – unpopular until recently --but research by Baron-Cohen – differences in male and female brains – systems vs relationships

  23. continued • Social/ cultural • Will explain many cases – group identity, social mobility, discrimination • but why so widespread?

More Related