unit-3-language-and-gender

Unit3LanguageandGenderDefinitionsofGenderReferstoanindividual'smaleorfemalestatusandissuesrelatedtothatstatus.ftad.osu.edu/CSP/glossary.htmlMaleorfemale.2typesofgenderaredistinguishedinlinguistics---naturalgender,whereitemsrefertothesexofrealworldentities,andgrammaticalgender,whichhasnothingtodowithsex,butwhichsignalsgrammaticalrelationshipsbetweenwordsinasentenceandwhichisshowne.g.bytheformofthearticleorthenoun.asystematicmeansofcommunicatingbytheuseofsoundsorconventionalsymbols;e.g.“Hetaughtforeignlanguages.”wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwnLanguageisasystemoffinitearbitrarysymbolscombinedaccordingtorulesofgrammarforthepurposeofcommunication.Individuallanguagesusesounds,gesturesandothersymbolstorepresentobjects,concepts,emotions,ideas,andthoughts.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languagesystemforcommunicatingideasandfeelingsusingsounds,gestures,signs,ormarks.Languageandgenderisdifferentfromsexismwhichisaformofprejudice.Discussinggenderweappreciatethatmenandwomenuselanguagedifferently;sexistlanguageuseslanguageasaweaponforseparatingmenandwomenandmostoftenasameansofdiminishingwomen.ThefollowingistheexamplesofSexistTerms-andalternativesSexistTerms-andalternativesThislistofsexisttermsshowsnotonlywhatmaybeavoidedbutalsohowtheymaybeavoided.TobeavoidedTobepreferredMankindhumanity,humanbeings,humanrace,people,humankind,humansman'sachievementshumanachievements,ourachievementsIfamandrove50milesat60mph...Ifapersondrove50milesat60mph...thebestmanforthejobthebestperson(orcandidate)forthejobman-madeartificial,synthetic,manufactured,constructed,of,humanoriginManpowerworkers.workforce,staff,labour,staffing,humanresourcesmanpeople,humankind,menandwomen,womenandmen,individuals,humanbeings,person,theindividualmanpowerplanninglabourmarketplanning,workforceplanning,staffplanning,workloadplanningChairmanchairperson,chair,Headmasterheadteacher,headpoliceman,policeofficer,firemanfirefighterWaysofavoidingSexismIfthegenderofthepersonbeingdiscussedisunknownorcouldbefemaleormale,thereareseveralalternatives.Oneistouse'Sheorheshouldshowhis/hertickets',orevenS/heshouldshow...(onlycommononformsandquestionnaires).AnotheristousethepluralCustomersshouldshowtheirticketsortousethesecondpersonpronouninstead-Pleaseshowyourticket.Useofthepassiveisanalternativethoughitmayleadtolessclarity-Ticketsshouldbeshown.MenandWomen.DoTheySpeaktheSameLanguage?Women'gossip'whilemen'talkshop',menarefirmwhilewomenarebossy.Thereisawidespreadbeliefthatwomentalkmorethanmen,yetresearchfindingsconsistentlycontradictthis.Menhavebeenshowntotalkmorethanwomeninsettingsasdiverseasstaffmeetings(EakinsandEakins1978),televisionpaneldiscussions(Bernard1972)andhusband-and-wifepairsinspontaneousconversation(SoskinandJohn1963).Whenaskedtodescribethreepictures,malesubjectstookonaverage13.00minutesperpicturecomparedwith3.17minutesforfemalesubjects(Swacker1975).Evidencesuggeststhatmenandwomentendtodiscussdifferenttopics(AriesandJohnson1983;Seidler1989).Forexample,mentendtotalkaboutsport,politicsandcars,whereaswomentendtotalkaboutchild-rearingandpersonalrelationships.RecentworkinSociolinguisticshasfocuseduponthevariationsintheconversationalstylesofmenandwomen,andhastriedtofindreasonsforthesevariations..FemalePatternsofSpeechItseemswomenaremorereadytoletotherspeakersintotheconversationortoallowanotherspeakertodominatethediscussion.Backchannelsarenotspeakerturnsinthenormalsensebutrathertheyacknowledgewhatthecurrentspeakersaysandgenerallyencourageher/himtogoon(Stenstrom1994,5).Inthefollowingdialoguespeaker1,aman,isholdingthefloorandspeaker2'scontributionislimitedtoaseriesofsupportivebackchannels.Speaker2,ithardlyneedssaying,isawoman.1IsawakingfisherSaturdaymorning2Didyou?1Ittookoffaboutthreefeetfrommyside.Ididn'tseeitinthebush.Ittookoffoutofabush,[went]2[Mm]1pastthefrontofmecanoeandlookintoatree.(Isatthere]2[Verynice]1andthoughtunclear2Yeah[lovely]1(looking]downatme,butthesunwasshiningSaturdaymorningearlyitwasrealbright2BeautifulWomentendtousemorestandardformsofEnglish.Atanearlyage,girlstendtohaveoneortwogirlfriendswithwhomtheyplayregularly.Theyaremorelikelytodiscussfeelingsandtheimpactofeventsuponthemselves.Womenuselanguagetocreateandmaintainsocialcohesivenessandtheiractivitiesaregenerallyco-operativeandnon-competitive.AstudyofchildrenatplayinaPhiladelphiastreet(Goodwin:1980;1988;1990)foundthatgirlstendedtousemitigateddirectives,i.e.whentheywantedtogetthegrouptodosomethingtheyusedsuggestionratherthanadirectcommand.Girlsuseformslike'let's','we'regonna','wecould'togetotherstodothings,insteadofappealingtotheirpersonalpower.Womensendoutandlookforsignsofagreementandlinkwhattheysaytothespeechofothers.Theyarecarefultorespecteachother'sturnsinspeakingandtendtoapologisefortalkingtoomuch.Somevocabularyitemsaregenderdependent.Awordlikegorgeous,forexampleisthreetimesaslikelytobeusedbyafemales