LANGUAGE IN GENDER

Question 1

DOMINANCE Zimmerman and West

Answer 1

• men dominate conversations in mixed gender interactions
• study shows men made 96% of the interruptions suggesting men control the flow of convo and maintain power
• overemphasis on interruptions
• lack of considering other factors such as topic control and non verbal cues

Question 2

DOMINANCE Obarr and Atkins

Answer 2

• women’s speech tends to be more tentative using polite forms, hedges and tag questions
• men more assertive and direct language
• langauge reflects and reinforces gendered power imbalance in society

Question 3

DIFFERENCE Trudgill

Answer 3

• women use more prestige forms of language whilst men use more informal forms
• women more likely to overcorrect their speech to conform to standards
• men less focused on appearing socially acceptable

Question 4

DIFFERENCE Pilkington

Answer 4

• his study found that womens convos are collaborative aiming to build relationships
• mens convo is more competitive, focusing on asserting dominance
• women seek connection men seek status
• men use verbal sparing women use compliemts and encouragement
• overlooks individual variation within each gender