Chapter Five: Gendered Verbal Communication Copyright © 2005 Wadsworth 1 Chapter Five: Gendered Verbal Communication gendered lives

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Chapter Five: Gendered Verbal Communication

Copyright © 2005 Wadsworth

Chapter Five:Chapter Five:

Gendered Verbal CommunicationGendered Verbal Communication

gendered lives

““The tongue has the power of The tongue has the power of life and death.”life and death.”

~ Proverbs 18.21~ Proverbs 18.21


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Verbal Communication - Verbal Communication - Cultural Views of GenderCultural Views of Gender

• Communication is Symbolic Behavior

• Not All Symbols are Linguistic

• Symbols Allow Us to Define, Organize,

and Evaluate Phenomena

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Language Defines GenderLanguage Defines Gender• Male Generic Language Excludes Women

Businessmen, Chairmen, Mankind “Generic” He

• Language Defines Women and Men Differently

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Language Defines GenderLanguage Defines Gender

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SpotlightingSpotlighting

• Highlighting the Sex of a Person

Sandra Day O’Connor is an outstanding

lady judge.

He plans to be a male kindergarten teacher.

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Language Reinforces Language Reinforces Cultural StereotypesCultural Stereotypes• Women Defined by Appearance or

Relationships Miss or Mrs. Designates Marital Status

Prevalent Tradition is that a Wife

Adopts Husband’s Name

• Men Defined by Activities,

Accomplishments or Positions

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Language Names What ExistsLanguage Names What Exists

We Notice what We Name

• Sexual Harassment Once Named,

Got Attention

• Date Rape Similar

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Language Organizes Language Organizes Perceptions of GenderPerceptions of Gender

• Stereotyping is a Broad Generalization

• Polarized Thinking Involves Conceiving of

Things as Opposites

Language and Gender Resources

http://www.linguistics.ucsb.edu/faculty/bucholtz/lng/

Language and Gender Resources

http://www.linguistics.ucsb.edu/faculty/bucholtz/lng/

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Language Evaluates GenderLanguage Evaluates Gender

• Women Often Trivialized by Language

Baby Doll, Cupcake, Girlie

• Language Sometimes Trivializes

Women’s Accomplishments

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Language Evaluates GenderLanguage Evaluates Gender

• Women Deprecated by Language that

Devalues Them

Topics of Interest Marginalized

Diminutive Suffixes Used

• Suffragette, Majorette

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Language Enables Language Enables Hypothetical ThoughtHypothetical Thought

• Hypothetical Thought is Important

in Gender Identity.

Each Must Decide what it Means

to be a Woman or a Man.

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Language Allows Language Allows Self-ReflectionSelf-Reflection

• People Reflect on Cultural

Views of Gender

• Can Decide They Don’t Want

to Limit Themselves

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Language is a ProcessLanguage is a Process

• We Continuously Change Language to

Reflect Understandings

• As We Modify Language, We Modify

How We See Ourselves and Our World

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Gendered Interaction: Gendered Interaction: Masculine and Feminine StylesMasculine and Feminine Styles

• Gendered Speech Communities

Language Sustains Cultural Life

Common Understandings of Communication

• Lessons of Childplay

Boys’ Games

Girls’ Games

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: W

ood

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Feminine SpeechFeminine Speech

• Centers on Relationships

• Used to Equalize Status

• Supports Others

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Feminine SpeechFeminine Speech

• Invites and Includes Others

• Verbally Responsive to Others

• Often Includes Intimate Self-Disclosure

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Women’s Communication Women’s Communication is Tentativeis Tentative• Hedges: “I kind of feel”

• Qualifiers: “I’m probably not the best judge . .”

• Tag questions: “. . .don’t you think”

Is this Powerless? OR Inclusive?

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Masculine SpeechMasculine Speech

• Used to Establish and Maintain Status

• Used to Accomplish Instrumental Objectives

• Used to Dominate the “Talk Stage”

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Masculine SpeechMasculine Speech

• Stated in Fairly Direct, Assertive Ways

• More Abstract and Less Concrete

• Less Emotionally Responsive to Others

Gender-Based Gender-Based MisinterpretationsMisinterpretations

Men tend to feel if a relationship is okaythere is no needto talk.

Women tend to view relationships as a process that should be discussed and examined.

Men tend to express themselves in a linear fashion.

Women tend to embed stories with people and events.

Men tend to solve problems.

Women tend to listen and match experiences.


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Does society devalue women’s style of public speaking?

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Women’s CommunicationWomen’s Communication

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Does society value men’s style of public speaking?

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gendered lives

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Chapter Five: Gendered Verbal Communication Copyright © 2005 Wadsworth 1 Chapter Five: Gendered Verbal Communication gendered lives