2. Gender and Language The ideology of gender categories is typically enacted in linguistic practices; indeed, it is through language that the individual cultural understandings of gender categories are learned and the coordination of gender roles achieved (Foley 2001: 289)

3. LANGUAGE AND GENDER Sex versus Gender Sexual differences: masculine and feminine Gender categorization: Social construct Daily practices: social interaction Habitus

4. (Pierre Bourdieu) denoting the totality of learned, bodily skills, habits, style, taste etc Gender habitus: Culture inscribed in the body

5. Anthropology of Gender: Study of the asymmetry of between the sexes: universal Rosaldo, 1974 Leacock 1978 Moore 1988

6. Main Question Why is the asymmetry between the sexes widespread?

7. Public realm and private realm hypothesis Women (work practices): private, viewed inferior Men: Public, risky activities, economic and social capital, politics Why does this lead to women typically viewed inferior? Widespread: Hunter and gatherers, developing and developed world

8. Socialization influences Perpetuation of asymmetrical patterns between the sexes: family Learning gender categories and rules in childhood: social roles

9. Is the Asymmetry of the Sexes Universal? Errington and Gewertz (1987) Gender can be complementary: Separate but equal Western versus Chambri (New Guinea) Western: Separation of the private and public: Exclusion Chambri: person define by his/her relations: manipulation of kinship links

10. What is the connection between Gender and Language? Gender as Ideology: Language as a tool for learning gender categorization: Commonly highly valued ways of speaking Example: Malagasy speech norms: Indirectness in speech: male activities Kabary Speech

11. Gender Styles: English Alternatives: pronunciation, word selection, grammatical construction. Language styles: reflection of gender differences “You’re driving rather fast, aren’t you? “Well, I guess it’s approximately four feet high.”

12. Why? Socialization Cultural values Gender roles and cultural values Social norms: construct and reinforce gender attitudes

13. Gender Roles Reflected in Language Styles Pronunciation: tone, intonation, volume Grammatical forms Choices of vocabulary

14. Sociolinguists look at: Conversational interactions ( styles of interactions) Tendencies in language use: Phonological variations: --Example: New England study, “-ing”; the progressive suffix on verbs-

15. Fischer’s study(1958) –prefer –ing prefer –in –Boys57 –Girls102

16. Intonation: rhythm, volume, pitch Different intonation Women: Wide range of pitches, rapid shift in volume and velocity (more emotional) Men: Atonal (control, restrain) Cultural interpretation: cultural valued or negatively evaluated behaviors

17. Grammatical Variants: Standard versus non-standard grammar Cheshire (1982) in Reading, England Present tense –s with non-singular subjects:“We goes shopping on Saturdays.” Has with first-and second-person subjects:“We has a little fire keeps us warm.”

18. Tag Questions Tag questions are sentences in which the speaker makes a declarative statement and add on a tag in the form of a question about the assertion Louise and Lucille didn’t leave together last night, did they? Bill took Luke to the park last night, didn’t he?

19. Why? --are reluctant to make direct assertions --thus avoiding coming into conflict with the addressee --construed as polite --uncertainty lack of definite opinion

20. Choice of Vocabulary Different social and cultural domains: --assumption of expertise --profanity

21. Gender Bias in English Nouns, adjectives, and verbs English covertly and overtly degrades females normative roles and secondary roles Creating a context for interaction of genders ---term opposite sex ---covert and overt inequality

22. The child caught the ball. The ball was caught by the child.

23. Conversational Styles Assumptions about conversational domination McConnell-Ginet (1988) ---Men: 12 min --Women: 3.17 Edelky (1981) --25 to 400% longer

24. Summary Differences: sex and gender Biological given: contested Culturally constructed category Language reflects the way we internalize the construction of gender categories

25. Discussion Questions In what ways are the relationship between language and gender similar or different to the relationship between language and race?

26. How are intonational and phonological variants an indication of sex or gender differences? Explain.