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Language and Gender

Language and Gender. Dominance Theory Language serves male needs and interests and reflects male thinking. The Theory. Everything in the English language is presumed to be male unless otherwise stated The generic pronoun is male Women’s language is ‘borrowed’

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Language and Gender

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  1. Language and Gender Dominance Theory Language serves male needs and interests and reflects male thinking

  2. The Theory • Everything in the English language is presumed to be male unless otherwise stated • The generic pronoun is male • Women’s language is ‘borrowed’ • There are lexical gaps in the language

  3. The Theory • The female is perceived as inferior • In mixed-sex conversations men take control • Women support social interactions

  4. Zimmerman and WestCalifornia, 1975 • White, middle class, under 35 sample group • 31 conversations, 11 mixed gender • Men interrupted 46 times in mixed gender conversations • Concluded that men dominate or attempt to dominate in mixed gender situations

  5. Fishman1980s • Conversation in mixed gender groups often breaks down because of men • Men take longer turns • Women ask more questions

  6. Dale Spender1978 ‘The Facts of Life: Sex Differentiated Knowledge in the English Classroom and the School’ Spender observed a number of English lessons in London comprehensive schools.

  7. Hypothesis • Boys and girls are given a different knowledge about themselves, school and their ability to be successful through interaction in the classroom • The male is viewed as the norm

  8. Findings • Girls were ignored for longer periods of time than the boys • Boys were not corrected when they shouted out, moved from their seats or displayed silly behaviour • Boys dominated classroom talk • Boys spoke ‘rough’ and girls spoke ‘soft’

  9. Findings • Girls were addressed collectively, boys by their individual names • Girls were expected to be better and more willing readers • Girls were expected to enjoy writing and write more than the boys • Girls took more care over the presentation of their work (teachers marked untidy work from a girl more severely than that of a boy)

  10. Findings • Teachers gave higher grades for tidy work if they thought it was done by a girl • The children thought more highly of writing by a man than a woman

  11. Conclusions • The male was viewed as ‘the norm’, the more powerful figure and was, therefore, allowed to dominate • The girls allowed this to take place because they followed the rules of this power system • Teachers reinforced this view through their behaviour

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