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Gender and language
The relationship between language and gender
The relationship between language and gender
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Introduction
Among the major social determinants of linguistic variation, gender is widely considered to be one of the most significant ones. According to research on a range of linguistic features, gender may even be the dominant factor.
The relationship of gender and linguistic behavior is a compelling topic which is getting more and more attention since it is closely related to gender studies. It is widely agreed that men and women use language differently in most speech communities, though to various extents (Holmes, 2001). Many works on the topic indicate that gender-specific linguistic behavior is a social practice which is based on gender identities and power relations (Eckert & McConnell-Ginet, 1992; Bruckmüller, Hegarty & Abele, 2012).
This paper aims to examine how gender differences are manifested in linguistic behavior. It focuses on the way men and women speak rather than that they are spoken about. Their speech differences in politeness, interaction, style and confidence are socialization practices which connote the power inequality between the two sexes. Examples of genderlects will be presented, and possible explanations from different perspectives will be evaluated before making a reasonable conclusion on the issue.
Gender-specific Patterns of Linguistic Behavior
The selection of examples of language patterns will be grounded on the characteristics of ‘women’s language’ proposed by Lakoff (Holmes, 2001; Rasmussen & Moely, 1986; White, 2003). Tags, ‘superpolite’ forms, ‘hypercorrect’ grammar and hedges will be given particular attention and grouped into four main sections.
i. Politeness
As men and women are socialized differently, females tend to express politeness more than men. One common facilitative device is ...
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...996). Gender and language use. Retrieved December 16, 2013, from the Monist website: http://philo.at/mii/gpmc.dir9606/msg00013.html
Michael, A. S., Liaw, S. C., Muthusamy, C., & Veeravagu, J. (2010). Gendered-linked differences in speech styles: Analysing linguistic and gender in the Malaysian context. Cross-Cultural Communication, 6(1), 18-28.
Rasmussen, J. L., & Moely, B. E. (1986). Impression formation as a function of the sex role appropriateness of linguistic behavior. Sex Roles, 14(3/4), 149-161.
Voegeli, F. (2005). Differences in the speech of men and women. Retrieved from www.venusboyz.com/ PDF/ DissertationFVoegeli.pdf
White, A. (2003). Women’s usage of specific linguistic functions in the context of casual conversation: Analysis and discussion. Retrieved from http://www.bhamlive3.bham.ac.uk /Documents/college-artslaw/cels/essays /sociolinguistics/White5.pdf
Deborah Tannen has achieved scholarly and public praise for her conclusions about how women and men differ in conversational styles. You Just Don’t Understand[6] clarifies stylistic differences in how the two sexes communicate with each other.
How do children learn to be men or women? Penelope Eckert is a professor of linguistics and anthropology at Stanford University, and Sally McConnell-Ginet is a professor of linguistics at Cornell University. They wrote an article “Learning to Be Gendered,” published in 2013 in the book “Language and Gender.” The authors argue that society has many ways to shape children’s gender by their behaviors since their birth. Eckert and Ginet show to the readers that the parent teaches their child’s behavior.
In his article, Thompson exposes Koppel’s evidence that women use more personal pronouns when writing than men. A group of Koppel’s computer scientists analyzed the writings of men and women by comparing them with their invented algorithm. The team found that women tend to utilize a greater number of personal pronouns than men. Often times men write about objects rather than people while women enjoy writing about people and expressing their emotions. (365). Personal pronouns such as “he”, “she”, “you”, and “they” produce personal and emotional meanings, and because women express their emotions more frequently than men, women gravitate toward the use of personal pronouns in their writing. By adding factual evidence into the article, the author places the focus of his writing on the usage of personal pronouns in women’s writing. Similar to Thompson, McWroter’s explains how the usage of pronouns should completely be gender neutral in literature (373-379). The entire article concentrates on the personal pronouns “they” and “he/she”. At first, McWhroter discusses the use of “they” as a singular pronoun although grammar experts consider it to be a plural pronoun. According to McWhroter, “they” creates a more gender neutral style in writing than “he/she”
In recent years, gender differences have already been one of the most controversial issues in various research. As an important communication tool of mankind, language is inevitably involved in controversies. However, Rachel Rafelman, a Canadian journalist and the author of “The Party Line” express her thought and opinion in her essay. She not only have some great points on what and how women and men are likely to talk, but also have different points on the talking environment. She comes up with facts and fit real and particle examples in her essay to make it understood. Whereas, Ronald Macaulay, a professor of linguistics and the author of “Sex Difference” uses words of novels to argue and promotes them as a cause of reinforce to men’s and women’s stereotypes in his essay. He argues through his whole as rebuttal and gives some examples to oppose the preconceived notion of sex differences. Over all, both Rafelman and Macaulay are the good writer but Rafelman is having upper to prove her essay better organized using her tones as per requirement.
The origins of gendered word and phrases are a debated topic. To clarify, a word that has a gendered meaning is an utterance that refers to a particular gender or is categorized to a particular gender. While some people believe that the interpretation of the listener is responsible for deriving the gendered meanings of words, others believe that the meanings of gendered adjectives and phrases originate from speaker intent. I believe, however, the context in which a word is used, how it is presented, and the context with which it is interpreted, affect its meaning. This “context” also includes the cultural background of both the speaker and the interpreter. From my perspective, gendered words gain their meanings from various sources, which include both the intentions of the speaker and the interpretations of the hearer.
Language Development When it comes to the effects of gender on language development, one of the most frequently asked questions is: do males and females develop language differently? Studies have shown both similarities and differences between male and female language development. Apel and Masterson (2001) explain that both genders acquire language skills along the same timeline and that both become active, engaging conversationalists. Although research has shown both similarities and differences in language development, pertaining to gender, a major influencing factor has come from parents. Observations have shown that during the different stages of language development, parents tend to use different types of language with males than with females, which continually affect an individual throughout his or her entire life.
You Just Don’t Understand: Women and. Men in a Conversation. New York: HarperCollins, 1990. 203-5. The syllable of the syllable.
The bestselling self-help books, such as "Men are from mars, women are from Venus" explain to their readers that there are fundamental differences between men and women, which determine the contrast in how both sexes speak. The author, John Gray uses the metaphor of the two planets and suggests that when men and women were united on Earth, they all suffered from 'selective amnesia'. As a consequence, "both the Martians and Venusians forgot that they were from different planets and were supposed to be different" , which resulted in gender conflict deriving from misunderstanding of intentions. Other authors of popular self-help books prefer less metaphorical theories and explain gender differences in language through evolution and biological characteristics of the sexes. However, modern sociolinguistics attempt to undermine these radical statements by approaching the question analytically drawing on evidence from the fields of anthropology, discourse analysis, dialectology, ethnography and social psychology to investigate whether women's and men's communication differs to the extent described in psychology books and what are the factors that could contribute to the development of what is known to be sex-preferential language patterns . From the linguistic point of view, It could be argued that the question itself imposes pre-conceptions of the gendered talk as it assumes that speakers are divided in two groups called "women" and "men"' and that because those groups unarguably differ, the language they use is shaped by their sex characteristics. In exploring the question whether women and men speak differently, it is necessary to focus on considering the notion of the andocentric approach to gender, the concept of 'acquiring' ...
In the introduction of Deborah Tannen’s “Conversation Style: Talking on the Job”, she compares and contrasts the ways men and women communicate. This reminds me of what I tell people that are struggling in their relationships. Women and men express themselves differently. Women think, but men act. If you can’t wrap your head around this, being in a relationship with anyone is going to be hard. Yet, this is such a basic way of looking at this issue. Not only are the genders vastly different, but each person relates to the world around them in a certain way. He or she also needs to be related to in a specific way. Looking at personalities and personal histories can give a better look at the way we communicate with each other. Tannen examines
In her essay titled “It Begins at the Beginning”, professor of linguistics Deborah Tannen describes how girls’ and boys’ communication and language patterns differ from an early age. Tannen’s essay, which is adapted from her book titled You Just Don’t Understand, she states that in the world of communication boys and girls have vast differences, which makes itself apparent in the way that they play. The author backs this up with two explanations. First, is that people not only talk to boys and girls differently, but also accept different ways of talking from them. Second, children learn communication not only from their parents but also from their peers, and there are major differences in the way boys and girls play together and speak to each other.
Lieberman, Simma. “Differences in Male and Female Communication Styles” Simma Lieberman Associates (undated). Retrieved February 25, 2010<
Parks, J.B., Robertson, M.A. a. The adage of the adage of the adage of the adage of the adage Attitudes Toward Women Mediate the Gender Effect on Attitudes Toward Sexist Language. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 28(3), 233-239. Piercey, M. (2000), Sexism in the English Language. TESL Canada Journal, 17(2), 110-115.
Wood, J. T. (2011). Gendered Verbal Communication. Gendered Lives: Communication, Gender, and Culture (10th ed., pp. 118-137). Boston, MA: Cengage.
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.
How does language affect our interaction with other genders? Language is the basis of all interaction. The language we use is essential to other’s perceptions of us. We instinctively know this, so we cater our language to suit how we want to be perceived by others. Language is not the only factor in perception though. Other’s interpretation of our language is as important an ingredient in their perception of us as the language we use is. Our perceptions of each other, more than anything else dictate our interactions with each other. The essential question is does interpretation of language vary between genders?