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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Language and Gender