Language and Gender

Language and Gender Theories

Robin Lakoff - Womens use of language

• Hedging: phrases like "sort of", "kind of" and "it seems like" were more frequent in feminine speech
• Polite Forms: "Would you mind" , "I'd appreciate it if", "...If you don't mind" 
• Tag Questions: "Your going to dinner, aren't you?"
• Empty Adjectives: divine, lovely, adorable, - are example of this
• Use Wh- imperative: "Why don't you go and play?"
• Speak less frequently 
• Overuse Qualifiers: "I think that..."
• Use modal constructions: can, would, should and ought - "Should we turn on the turn down the volume?"
• Insifiers: Especially, So and Very. "I am SO glad you came"

Zimmerman and West: Dominance Theory (1975)

• The theory that in mixed-sex conversations men are more likely to interrupt women.
• Zimmer and West came to the conclusion that because men interrupt women more often, then they are dominating or attempting to do so

Beattie

• Beattie questioned the research and analysis of Zimmerman and West asking why the interruptions necessarily showed dominance.]
• Beattie asked can they not arise from other sources? Citing that some interruptions may suggest involvement or a genuine interest in the subject matter.

Deborah Tannen (Status V Support) or (Difference Theory)

• Men grow up in a world where conversation is competitive, and thus seek…