Language and gender

Introduction to sociolinguistics
Why can’t a woman be
more like a man?
- My Fair Lady
 Reality check (1)

• women - talk more • men - swear more, don't

than men, talk too talk about emotions, talk
much, are more polite, about sport more, talk
are indecisive/hesitant, about women and
complain and nag, ask machines in the same way,
more questions, insult each other frequently,
support each other, are competitive in
are more co-operative conversation, dominate
conversation, speak with
more authority, give more
Living Language (2000) by commands, interrupt more.
George Keith and John
Shuttleworth
 Women’s language
(Lakoff, 1975)
• Hedge: using phrases like “sort of”, “kind of”, “it seems like”,and so on.
• Use (super)polite forms: “Would you mind...”,“I'd appreciate it if...”, “...if you don't mind”.
• Use tag questions: “You're going to dinner, aren't you?”
• Speak in italics: intonational emphasis equal to underlining words - so, very, quite.
• Use empty adjectives: divine, lovely, adorable, and so on
• Use hypercorrect grammar and pronunciation: English prestige grammar and clear
enunciation.
• Use direct quotation: men paraphrase more often.
• Have a special lexicon: women use more words for things like colours, men for sports.
• Use question intonation in declarative statements: women make declarative statements into
questions by raising the pitch of their voice at the end of a statement, expressing uncertainty.
For example, “What school do you attend? Eton College?”
• Use “wh-” imperatives: (such as, “Why don't you open the door?”)
• Speak less frequently
• Overuse qualifiers: (for example, “I Think that...”)
• Apologise more: (for instance, “I'm sorry, but I think that...”)
• Use modal constructions: (such as can, would, should, ought - “Should we turn up the
heat?”)
• Avoid coarse language or expletives
• Use indirect commands and requests: (for example, “My, isn't it cold in here?” - really a
request to turn the heat on or close a window)
• Use more intensifiers: especially so and very (for instance, “I am so glad you came!”)
• Lack a sense of humour: women do not tell jokes well and often don't understand the punch
line of jokes.
Reality check
Fact:
Women use more standard
speech forms than men.

Why?
A1: The social status

• Women are status-conscious

– The way they speak shows their social
class or social status.
A2: Women’s role

• The society expects ‘better’ behavior

from women than from women.
A3: Subordinate groups must be
polite

• Women as a subordinate group

– Avoid offending men.
– Use polite speech
– Protect women’s ‘face’.
A4: machismo

• Vernacular forms express machismo.

A5: Contextual factor

• A reflection of women’s sensibility to

contextual factors.
– Standard speech in formal contexts.
MEN-WOMEN
INTERACTIONS
General Styles

• Men tend to be more competitive and

less supportive of others
• Women are more cooperative.
Interruptions

• In cross-gender interactions, almost all

the interruptions were from men.
– In meetings
– In doctor-patient interactions
– Parents and children
• Pre-school boys interrupt too.
– Women are socialized from early childhood
to expect to be interrupted.
Feedback

• Women provide more encouraging

feedback.
Women’s gossip

• Description
– Easy and idle in-group talk in informal
contexts
• Function
– To affirm solidarity
– To maintain the social relstionships
Linguistic features of the gossip

• Propositions which express feelings are

often intensified.
• Complete each other’s utterances,
agree frequently, and provide
supportive feedback.
“Gossip is good for women's health.”

• “The research reveals a woman is happier

and healthier if she enjoys a regular chat with
her female friend because it boosts levels of
progesterone, a hormone shown to reduces
levels of anxiety and stress.” (The Telegraph,
June 10, 2009)
– http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/women_shealth/
5496680/Gossip-is-good-for-womens-health-
scientists-claim.html
The construction of gender

• Gender identity
– Women adapt to masculine contexts
– Men adapt to feminine contexts.
Sexism in language
We hold these truths to be
self-evident: That all men are
created equal
- Declaration of Independence, 1776.
Sexism in language

• Generic ‘he’ and ‘man’

– Man has been civilized for centuries. He no longer
needs to hunt for food for his women and children.
• The male form is unmarked; the female form
is marked.
– Prince; princess.
• Animal/food imagery
– Bitch, chick,
– Sugar, honey, sweetie