Language and Gender Flashcards
(20 cards)
What begins the socialisation of gender roles?
Manipulation, appellations, and canalisation
These processes influence how children learn their gender roles.
What are Marked Terms?
Terms that stand out as different from the norm (e.g., male nurse)
Marked terms highlight the deviation from traditional gender roles.
What are Diminutive suffixes?
Terms for women often ‘marked’ through addition of a suffix (e.g., bachelorette)
These suffixes often denote a lesser status.
What are Generic terms in language?
Use of male pronouns to signify both men and women
This practice can perpetuate gender bias.
What is Lexical asymmetry?
Pairs of words which should have the same meaning but one has negative connotations (e.g., bachelor and spinster)
This reflects societal biases towards genders.
Define Overt prestige.
Using grammatically correct forms, traditionally associated with women
This form of language is often viewed as more formal or acceptable.
Define Covert prestige.
Using non-standard language, usually associated with men
This can signify a different social status or identity.
What does the Dominance model suggest?
Males’ dominance in language reflects male dominance in society
This theory emphasizes power dynamics in communication.
What is the Difference model?
Men and women speak differently because they are different (Tannen)
This model highlights the distinct communication styles of genders.
What does the Deficit model propose?
Women’s language is assumed weak in relation to male norm (Jesperson/Lakoff)
This perspective views women’s communication as lacking.
What did Robin Lakoff (1975) identify about women’s language?
Women use more tag questions, intensifiers, weaker expletives, hedges, and grammatically correct forms
Lakoff’s research highlights patterns in female communication.
What did Zimmerman and West (1975) find about men’s communication?
Men interrupt and overlap more
This indicates a tendency towards dominance in conversations.
What did Deborah Tannen (1992) observe about men’s communication styles?
Men use more imperatives and assume the role of information giver or fixer
This suggests a more assertive communication style.
What is Jennifer Coates’ (1996) observation about men’s and women’s topic preferences?
Men prefer topics where they can be experts, women are more personal
This highlights differing interests in conversation.
What does Jennifer Coates and Deborah Cameron (1988) say about women’s communication?
Women co-operate in talk whereas men compete
This reflects different conversational strategies.
What is a Facilitative Tag Question?
Example: ‘it’s cold, don’t you agree?’
This type of question invites agreement and encourages dialogue.
What is Feedback Support?
Example: ‘hmm, yeah, I agree’
This shows a supportive communicative response.
What are Intensifiers in language?
Example: ‘so lovely’
Intensifiers amplify the meaning of adjectives.
What is Lexical Priming?
Concept by Hoey
Refers to how certain words are predisposed to appear in certain contexts.
What does Collocation refer to?
The habitual juxtaposition of a particular word with another word or words
This is important for understanding word usage patterns.
