The Relationship Between Gender and Language

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The book An Intorduction of Sociolinguistics is an outstanding introductary book in the field of sociolinguistics. It encompasses a wide range of language issues. In chapter 13, Wardhaugh provides a good insight to the relationship between language and gender. He explains gender differences of language-in-use with concise examples. Wardhaugh riases questions about sexist language and guides readers to look closer at how people use language differently because of their own gender in daily life. According to the Whorfian hypothesis, which indicates that the way people use language reflects their thoughts, different genders adapt different communication strategies.

Wardhaugh states different social norms defining the standards of being men or women, which has a profound influence on the language behavior shown by different genders. In other words, both men and women should possess the ability to show either masculinity or feminity through the language they use. When this ability overlaps with the other gender, however, one might be considered as as outsider of their own gender. He then lists the main differences between males and femals with the connection with language: genetic differences, social differences (e.g. various roles people take within a certain society), and linguistic differences (e.g. speech style and word choice). Doing so, he gives readers an indepth idea about how gender differences link to various language behaviors. He further explains how these differences are possibly created and constructed in society. Wardhaugh also examines a few common gender stereotypes, such as women talk more than men, and proves most of the stereotypes are wrong.

Pop music is the main media of spreading values and belifes to the pub...

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...nt and plain in the above lyrics.

Works Cited

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Paisley, B., Lovelace, K., & Miller, L. T. (2008). I’m Still a Guy [Recorded by B.
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Wardhaugh, R. (2006). An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. Oxford: Blackwell.
Wareing, S. (2004). Language and gender. In L. Thomas, S. Wareing, & I. Singh (Eds.), Language, Society and Power: An introduction (pp. 75-92). New York: Routledge.
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