Gender and Language

1
Gender and Language

• Little study of womens speech until 1970s
• Lakoff Genderlectswomens speech seen as
  powerless
• Studies of sex differences in speech

2
Studies of sex differences

• At first, just added sex as variable
• Inconclusive resultsnot clear-cut differences by
  sexif statistical difference, reason not clear
• Form alone (e.g. tag question) not enough need
  to consider meaninge.g., modal and (softening or
  facilitative) affective tags

3

• Findings consistent with stereotypes accepted,
  inconsistent explained away
• Not useful to treat all women as though alike
• Need to consider gender in relation to setting
  and other social categories

4
Gender and Speech (approaches)

• Gender DifferencesDeficit
• Gender Differences are sub-cultural
• Gender Differences reflect dominance

5
Gender Bias in English

• All people male until proven female.
• Most occupational titles male. Female doctor,
  female pilot
• Acting is masculine passively accepting is female

6
Semantic derogation

• Patron Matron
• Landlord Landlady
• Sir Madam
• Governor Governess
• Courtier Courtesan

7

• Lord Dame
• Gentleman Lady
• Master Mistress

8
Bias towards women

• Innocent term describing women becomes negative,
  then abusive, then a sexual slur.
• More than 500 English words for prostitute.

9
Gender and Speech

• Gender is a social construct
• Do gender through activity, in interaction with
  others
• Do gender in part through speech
• Gender as performed

10
Performative Postmoderns

• Gal Cultural constructions of language behavior
  not just ideas that differentiate genders in
  terms of social interaction but are themselves
  sources of power that are enacted and contested
  in talk.