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Gender, Language and Communication

Week 2:2

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Sexism & LanguageA. Connotations

governor – governess

master – mistress

patron – matron

sir – madam

bachelor –

Word Pairs

brothers & sisters

husband & wife

boys & girls

hostess & host

queen & king

Eve & Adam

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Sexism & Language

Generic He/Man• policeman• spokeman• manpower• Social Man• mankind• workman’s compensation• “Man the oars”• he, him, his

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• Part A. Connotations• Words associated with men appear on the left,

those with women on the right. What does each word connote to you?

• Power, authority, positively valued while for women…..

• What did spinster mean originally? Semantic Derogation over time? Word becomes associated with women often acquires semantic characteristics congruent with social stereotypes and evaluations – women as a group (PM Smith in Renzetti & Curran).

What do these connotations say abt the status of women in society?

Generally men associated with positive things, women negative things?

“Shrew” from the name of a small, but vicious, animal is defined in most dictionaries as “an ill-

tempered scolding woman.” A shrewd businessman has different connotation,

“clever, discerning awareness” .Patron of the arts vs a matron who supervises

a public institution or simply an old woman.Would you rather be an old master (someone who has achieved consummate ability in your

field) or an old mistress

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Word Pairs• Read each word pair. What if you reverse them? Sound

incorrect, awkward?• Traditionally placing the female term after the male term

signifies something? Status of women? “ the supreme Being…is in languages Masculine, in as much as the masculine Sex is the superior and more excellent” (quoted in Baron, 1986)

• Linguistic Sexism is the larger problem of semantic derogation• Linguistic sexism – ways in which a language devalues

members of one sex (women), defining women’s “place” in society unequally & ignoring women. Example: titles of respect for men, Mr which reveals nothing about relationship to women. While women being addressed as Miss or Mrs – define women in terms of their relationships to men. Husband & wife having Ph.Ds-commonly adddressed as Dr & Mrs. How is a woman’s identity subsumed?

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Generic He/Man• What image comes to your mind when reading

the words?• Do you visualize women, women and men

together, or men alone? Only men• “he/man” language frequently results in “cognitive

confusion” or misunderstanding• How can sexist language be changed?

Individuals (you & me), organizations• Ms for Miss & Mrs, Alternating the order of

feminine & masculine nouns and pronouns • She/he, or he and she or they for he/man• Police officer, spokesperson, businessperson

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Do Women & Men Speak Different Language

• Deborah Tannem (1990,1994 a&b) argues women & men are of different speech communities

• Different communication styles and goals. • Women & men speak different genderlects just as people

from cultures speak different dialects. • Women speak & hear a language of intimacy & connection.

Men uses language of status & independence.• Therefore, when women & men converse, the conversations

often become product of two different cultures resulting in misunderstanding.

• Some studies using large sample found few communication differences among gender, but both women & men communication patterns and styles are influenced by situational factors: sex of the receiver, the context, the perceived status of both speaker and receiver.

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On listening reactions, few differences between female and male listeners except female gave more “active understanding” responses (explicit acknowledgment of the speaker’s feelings) when the speaker was a female friend. Is communication an interactive process affected by a variety of factors of which gender is only one?

Many researchers observed gender inequality characterizes much daily communication, reflecting differences in men’s and women’s life experiences, social status, power (Henley et al., 1985)

In cross-sex conversations, men are found to do more of the talking which in many

situations give them more opportunity to express their opinions (business meetings). Plus men have more success than women in getting the conversation focused on topics.

Listeners of both sexes more actively attend to men when they speak than to women speakers

(McConnell-Ginet, 1989).Non verbal communication of men in cross-sex

interaction – dominant. They control more space than women, they invade women’s personal space more than women invade men’s by standing closer to them, and by

touching and staring at them more.

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• Women tend to avert their eyes when stared at by men, but they also smile and laugh

more than men whether they are happy or not, a gesture viewed as both social and

submissive. • Research on same-sex conversation showed that in all female groups, women talk more than men do in all male groups.

• Men prefer to talk more about sports, work; women prefer to indulge more about personal topics (Bischoping, 1993).

Women conversations are less individualistic and more dynamic than men’s conversation in same-sex interaction. Women enlarge on

and acknowledge one another’s contributions, respond to conversationalist’s

attempts to introduce topics..Although interruptions are frequent in

women’s conversations, these are typically supportive rather than aggressiveWomen’s conversations are being

stereotyped as gossiping whereas men’s conversations with another are regarded as

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• Wld these negative traits and consequences of communication differences associated exclusively with women have to do with men having greater power to define

acceptable standards of communication? Obviously,

women’s communications are considered not only different from men’s, but also typically inferior

(Lakoff, 1990)

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Is the Situation Changing ?

• Some evidence the situation may be changing.

• Berryman-Fink (1994)-no difference in how women & men (sups, peers, or subordinates) rated the communication competency of women in the work place. In self-evaluations, women rated their communication competency lower than others rated men. Women need to develop greater self confidence in certain communication settings.

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http://www.filmakers.com/WOMEN.html#Body

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Increase Visibility: 7 secrets of successful women (Donna

Brooks & Lynn Brooks

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The former president of Bryn Mawr College advises taking an interest in wider business areas that will carry

you into situations with more sr people. She recommends taking

advantage of teams & committees, volunteering & engaging with

people socially. She sees the need to develop partnerships..

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Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton agrees saying that it can be difficult for a woman to speak up in

a room—especially in a political environment. It takes some

gumption to jump in. But women are bringing in a certain culture,

how they behave.

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Karen, now president of a large publishing company, wanted to be recognized earlier in her career.

However, she realizes that there were many ingrained ideas within

organizations. Men talk to men more often. Men’s names are mentioned in decisions more often. They are just

more visible. Women are not often as deft at self-promotion

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Dianne, A Director, Agrees That Women Need To Take Advantage Of Opportunities-even In Places

Like Hallways & Elevators-and Talk To Sr Managers Whenever Possible..As A Manager,

Management By Walking Around Is Also Important To Her

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A friend of the author at Merck feels that femininity brings something to the workplace that didn’t exist before, such as higher-level teamwork & team units that resemble the family structure. She says women do it all the time at home. Older women may still “look like masculine leaders” because that’s how they succeeded, & that have maintained that image. However, at Merck, there’s a group of women who purposely wear red jackets at team meetings, to introduce color into the group & to show an easy leadership style, but one of authority. The color you wear may depend on the type of meeting & the authority you want to show. Subtle details in appearance can mean a lot.

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