Susanne Karlsson - Gender-relater differences in language use.pdf

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2007:085
MASTER’S THESIS
Gender-related Differences
in Language Use
Susanne Karlsson
Luleå University of Technology
Department of Languages and Culture
ENGLISH D
Supervisor: Maria Vedin
2007:085 • ISSN: 1402 - 1552 • ISRN: LTU - DUPP--07/85 - - SE
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Table of Contents
Abstract ………………………………………………………………………………………2
1. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………........ .3
2. Variations in language ……………………………………………………………..5
2.1 Linguistic change…………………………………………………………....7
2.2 Theoretical views related to survey ...……………………………………. .10
2.3 Discourse factors for politeness …………………………………………...12
2.4 Conversations ……………………………………………………………...14
3. The survey ………………………………………………………………………….15
3.1 The dialogue……………………………………………………………….15
3.1.1The female character uses .....................................................16
3.1.2.The female character’s choice of topic ................................16
3.1.3.The male character uses .......................................................17
3.2 The test situation..……………………………..………………………….. 17
3.3 The data…..…………………………………………………………...........18
4. Documentations and results, task 1:
”Write your choice (male/female)” ………………………………………….18
5. Documentations and results, task 2:
“What was the first thing you thought about?” .....................................19
5.1 Female comments: Females age 14 and 17 years old ................................. 19
5.2 Male comments: Females age 14 and 17 years old ..................................... 19
5.3 Female comments: Males age 14 and 17 years old ......................................20
5.4 Male comments: Males age 14 and 17 years old ..........................................20
6. Documentations and results, task 3:
“Underline words in the dialogue that you find ‘typical’ for males and
females ”..............................................................................................................21
6.1 Results and analysis 1 (female language): females age 14 and 17 ...............21
6.2 Results and analysis 2 (female language): males age 14 and 17 ..................23
6.3 Results and analysis 3 (female language): comparison between females and
males ........................................................................ .................................. 25
6.4 Results and analysis 4 (male language): females age 14 and 17 ..................26
6.5 Results and analysis 5 (male language): males age 14 and 17 .................... 27
6.6 Results and analysis 6 (male language): comparison between females and
males .............................................................................................................28
7. Documentations and results, task 4:
“Did you find it hard to make a decision about the character?” ….......29
7.1 Comments from females age 14…………………........................................29
7.2 Comments from males age 14 ......................................................................29
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8. Documentations and results, task 5:
“ Do you like to add something?” .......................................................................29
8.1 Females age 14 .............................................................................................30
8.2 Females age 17 .............................................................................................30
8.3 Males age 14 .................................................................................................31
8.4 Males age 17 .................................................................................................31
8.5 Summary of the comments ...........................................................................32
9. Conclusion................................................................................................ 33
Bibliography......................... ...............................................................................37
.
Appendices .............................................................................................................. 38
Appendix 1: The dialogue ..........................................................................38
Appendix 2: The questionnaire ..................................................................39
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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1. Introduction
The major thing that distinguishes human beings from animals is basically our way to
communicate with each other by using language. We have words for specific things,
emotions, expressions and it appears as though we have words for everything when thinking
about it. In each language; words are constructed in a certain way. When working with
language, it is quite possible to determine whether a word belongs to one stem or another just
by looking at it even if the person has no clue of the word’s meaning which is quite
fascinating.
Through time, society has gone through great changes which have influenced our languages.
New vocabularies have been added to our languages and old-fashioned words have been
replaced. Each language has its characteristics and reflects society to a great extent. Many
studies have been carried out through the years. During the 1970’s, vast sociolinguistic
investigations were made and one focused mainly on syntactic, phonology and morphology
variations. At first, gender was regarded as a sociolinguistic variable, just like social class,
age, ethnicity and social status. It was not until the midst 70’s when Robin Lakoff’s essay
Language and Woman’s Place was released, science about gender and language was
established (Lakoff, 1975. In Nordenstam, 2003:10). Even so, studies about gender and
language were regarded as pure feministic research in the beginning. Why is that?
One researcher named Deborah Cameron has divided science in gender and language into
three different categories: deficit, dominance and difference . She claims that all research in the
referring area can be placed in one of three hypotheses. The hypotheses stands for different
convictions regarding female’s use of language and the reasons for possible differences
between male’s and female’s way of expressing themselves. ‘Deficit’ stands for a conviction
about female’s lack in language and one famous early supporter of this conviction is a Danish
professor of English language called Otto Jespersen. ‘Dominance’ stands for men’s power and
dominance of women. Women’s submissive role in society is being reflected in language
according to those who believe this to be the truth. The last and final hypothesis is the one
called ‘difference’. According to Cameron, if you support this conviction you believe that the
reason for possible language differences between males and females are merely a result of
their belonging in different cultures (Cameron(eds), 1992. In Nordenstam, 2003:14-15).
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When working with language one sometimes hears the expressions “female language” and
“male language”. Are females speaking in a special way in comparison with males or do the
expressions, female and male language, refer to something else? Since society changes the use
of language must certainly change too due to the fact that language reflects society. If
differences are to be found, are they related specifically to gender or are we actually talking
about status and power?
The aim with this D-essay is to give some possible answers whether one can find differences
between male’s and female’s way of using language. Furthermore, is it possible to find
differences between different age groups coming from the same gender? By looking back at
history as well as presenting research about language and gender, this essay will raise
questions about our way to communicate. The essay also contains a study made on 80
students at the age of 14 and 17 years old. The study consists of a written dialogue where
certain attributes are implemented in order to test different theories presented in this essay.
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