Subjects

English Lang.

Language diversity & change

The importance of gendered language

A Level English Language: Easy Gender Theories and Notes PDF

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A Level English Language: Easy Gender Theories and Notes PDF

sophie

@sophiefreyaa

158 Followers

Language and Gender: Key Theories and Concepts in A-Level English Language

This comprehensive guide explores major language and gender theories relevant for A-level English language students. It covers key theorists, their approaches, and critiques of different perspectives on how language use relates to gender.

Key points:

Examines influential theories like Lakoff's Deficit Theory and Tannen's Difference Approach
Discusses concepts like socialization, power dynamics, and communication styles
Provides examples and scenarios to illustrate theoretical concepts
Evaluates strengths and limitations of different language and gender models
Covers topics like sexism in language and gender miscommunication debates

09/10/2023

1156

language and gender
Ⓒsubject
english language
Last edited time @November 21, 2022 5:44 PM
deadline
= notes
status
© type
key terms highlight

Deborah Tannen's Difference Theory (1990)

This section explores Deborah Tannen's Difference Theory, a significant model in language and gender theories for A-level English language students.

Tannen's 1990 book "You Just Don't Understand" proposed that men and women have fundamentally different communication styles and goals:

Women seek to build rapport through talk
Men seek to report information through talk
Men are naturally more competitive
Women are more cooperative

The theory outlines several key contrasts in male and female communication:

Status vs. Support
- Men use language to achieve and maintain status
- Women use language to exchange confirmation and support

Example: In a scenario of building a raft, men might use more imperatives and argue ideas, while women offer more encouragement and build on others' suggestions.

Advice vs. Understanding
- Men tend to offer solutions when presented with problems
- Women seek emotional support and understanding

Example: When complaining about a headache, a man might suggest "Get some paracetamol and water," while a woman might say "Why don't you go back to bed and I'll bring you some paracetamol? Aw bless you, when did it start?"

Independence vs. Intimacy
- Men assert independence, dominate public talking, and self-aggrandize in stories
- Women bond through language, talk more in private, and highlight others in stories
Information vs. Feelings
- Men communicate to report facts and information
- Women communicate to share feelings about situations
Conflict vs. Compromise
- Men are more likely to oppose others and offer alternative views
- Women try to avoid conflict and seek compromise

Highlight: Tannen's Difference Theory presents a binary view of male and female communication styles, which has been both influential and critiqued in language and gender studies.

Vocabulary: Difference Theory - An approach suggesting men and women have distinct but equally valid communication styles, shaped by cultural factors.

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Language and Gender: Introduction and Key Concepts

This section introduces fundamental concepts related to language and gender in sociolinguistics.

Gender is defined as the socially constructed characteristics associated with women, men, and other gender identities. This encompasses societal roles, behaviors, and attributes considered appropriate for different genders.

Socialization is highlighted as a crucial process through which individuals acquire social knowledge and norms, often beginning from birth. Examples of gendered socialization include:

Color associations (e.g. pink for girls, blue for boys)
Toys and games marketed to specific genders
Television shows targeting particular genders
Sports considered more appropriate for boys or girls
Gendered clothing styles and options

Definition: Socialization refers to the lifelong process of inheriting and disseminating norms, customs, and ideologies, providing an individual with the skills and habits necessary for participating within their own society.

These early socialization experiences are noted as potentially influential in shaping language use and communication styles associated with different genders.

Highlight: Understanding the concept of socialization is crucial for analyzing how gender norms and expectations may impact language use from an early age.

View

Robin Lakoff's Deficit Theory (1975)

This section examines Robin Lakoff's influential Deficit Theory in language and gender studies, a key topic for A-level English language students.

Lakoff's 1975 work "Language and Woman's Place" proposed that women's speech contains features highlighting uncertainty and powerlessness compared to men's speech. Her theory suggests women's language is deficient or inferior.

Key features of women's speech according to Lakoff include:

Hedges (e.g. "sort of", "kind of")
Super-polite forms
Tag questions
Intensifiers
Emphatic intonation ("speaking in italics")
"Empty" adjectives
Hypercorrect grammar and pronunciation
Direct quotation (vs. paraphrasing)
Rising intonation in declarative statements
Less frequent speech, more apologies
Avoidance of coarse language
Indirect requests
Lack of humor
Special lexicon for topics like colors

Example: A woman might say "Wow, I'm so thirsty" as an indirect request for a drink, rather than directly asking for one.

The theory links these language features to socialization, suggesting that gendered experiences (e.g. girls' toys focused on beauty) may influence language use.

Highlight: Lakoff's Deficit Theory has been influential but also widely critiqued in language and gender studies.

Criticisms of the theory include:

Outdated attitudes since publication
Limited sample (white, American, middle-class women)
Alternative interpretations of features like tag questions (Holmes, 1992)
Evidence of "powerless language" used by lower-class men (O'Bar and Atkins, 1980)

Vocabulary: Deficit Theory - An approach suggesting women's language is deficient or inferior compared to men's speech.

View

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Subjects

English Lang.

Language diversity & change

The importance of gendered language

A Level English Language: Easy Gender Theories and Notes PDF

sophie

@sophiefreyaa

158 Followers

Language and Gender: Key Theories and Concepts in A-Level English Language

Key points:

Examines influential theories like Lakoff's Deficit Theory and Tannen's Difference Approach
Discusses concepts like socialization, power dynamics, and communication styles
Provides examples and scenarios to illustrate theoretical concepts
Evaluates strengths and limitations of different language and gender models
Covers topics like sexism in language and gender miscommunication debates

09/10/2023

1156

12/13

English Lang.

Deborah Tannen's Difference Theory (1990)

This section explores Deborah Tannen's Difference Theory, a significant model in language and gender theories for A-level English language students.

Tannen's 1990 book "You Just Don't Understand" proposed that men and women have fundamentally different communication styles and goals:

Women seek to build rapport through talk
Men seek to report information through talk
Men are naturally more competitive
Women are more cooperative

The theory outlines several key contrasts in male and female communication:

Status vs. Support
- Men use language to achieve and maintain status
- Women use language to exchange confirmation and support

Example: In a scenario of building a raft, men might use more imperatives and argue ideas, while women offer more encouragement and build on others' suggestions.

Advice vs. Understanding
- Men tend to offer solutions when presented with problems
- Women seek emotional support and understanding

Example: When complaining about a headache, a man might suggest "Get some paracetamol and water," while a woman might say "Why don't you go back to bed and I'll bring you some paracetamol? Aw bless you, when did it start?"

Independence vs. Intimacy
- Men assert independence, dominate public talking, and self-aggrandize in stories
- Women bond through language, talk more in private, and highlight others in stories
Information vs. Feelings
- Men communicate to report facts and information
- Women communicate to share feelings about situations
Conflict vs. Compromise
- Men are more likely to oppose others and offer alternative views
- Women try to avoid conflict and seek compromise

Highlight: Tannen's Difference Theory presents a binary view of male and female communication styles, which has been both influential and critiqued in language and gender studies.

Vocabulary: Difference Theory - An approach suggesting men and women have distinct but equally valid communication styles, shaped by cultural factors.

Language and Gender: Introduction and Key Concepts

This section introduces fundamental concepts related to language and gender in sociolinguistics.

Socialization is highlighted as a crucial process through which individuals acquire social knowledge and norms, often beginning from birth. Examples of gendered socialization include:

Color associations (e.g. pink for girls, blue for boys)
Toys and games marketed to specific genders
Television shows targeting particular genders
Sports considered more appropriate for boys or girls
Gendered clothing styles and options

Definition: Socialization refers to the lifelong process of inheriting and disseminating norms, customs, and ideologies, providing an individual with the skills and habits necessary for participating within their own society.

These early socialization experiences are noted as potentially influential in shaping language use and communication styles associated with different genders.

Highlight: Understanding the concept of socialization is crucial for analyzing how gender norms and expectations may impact language use from an early age.

Robin Lakoff's Deficit Theory (1975)

This section examines Robin Lakoff's influential Deficit Theory in language and gender studies, a key topic for A-level English language students.

Key features of women's speech according to Lakoff include:

Hedges (e.g. "sort of", "kind of")
Super-polite forms
Tag questions
Intensifiers
Emphatic intonation ("speaking in italics")
"Empty" adjectives
Hypercorrect grammar and pronunciation
Direct quotation (vs. paraphrasing)
Rising intonation in declarative statements
Less frequent speech, more apologies
Avoidance of coarse language
Indirect requests
Lack of humor
Special lexicon for topics like colors

Example: A woman might say "Wow, I'm so thirsty" as an indirect request for a drink, rather than directly asking for one.

The theory links these language features to socialization, suggesting that gendered experiences (e.g. girls' toys focused on beauty) may influence language use.

Highlight: Lakoff's Deficit Theory has been influential but also widely critiqued in language and gender studies.

Criticisms of the theory include:

Outdated attitudes since publication
Limited sample (white, American, middle-class women)
Alternative interpretations of features like tag questions (Holmes, 1992)
Evidence of "powerless language" used by lower-class men (O'Bar and Atkins, 1980)