Introducing Language and Gender English is an inherently sexist language Boys and girls are brought up and expected to behave in different ways Introducing Language and Gender Women are conventionally represented in negative ways by the media Women talk more than men Starter: how do you respond to these claims and assertions about language and gender? Do you agree? Disagree?

What is gender? Sex and gender are NOT the same in language study. Sex refers to biological differences between males and females Gender refers to behavioural characteristics which are a result of social and cultural influences Masculine and feminine characteristics are not necessarily the product of a person’s sex, but part of a socialisation process which begins when we are children. Key term: socialisation (process) the way in which an individual’s behaviours are conditioned and shaped.

How are behavioural expectations and gender norms portrayed in magazines? Look at the following magazines and consider: Lexical features Grammatical features Graphological features How are they used to construct gender http://www.toysrus.co.uk/toys/ http://www.elc.co.uk/ http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/ http://www.topshop.com/?geoip=home http://www.vogue.co.uk/ http://www.thewhitecompany.com/ http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/ http://www.fhm.com/ http://www.topman.com/?geoip=home

Construction of gender in fictional texts Consider the grammatical structure of the sentences in these two fictional texts. These texts are from Mills and Boons novels. Look at the website and the Wikipedia page for further details on the nature of such books. Is the female or male character primarily presented as the actor of the verb, or the affected? Consider the lexis/tone/register of these texts. How do these construct gender?

Is English a sexist language? Marked expressions The words used to describe females are often marked to distinguish them from those used to describe males. The act of marking suggests deviation or difference from a norm, the unmarked item. Covert marking This is most commonly seen in antonyms, for instance young and old. We normally ask “How old are you?” rather than “How young are you?” What does this suggest about what is seen as ‘norm’? Overt marking This is a more obvious form of marking, such as adding the suffix ‘-ess’. Consider the pairs of words on the next slide. What differences are suggested between them?

Female Male Master Mistress Waiter Waitress Instructor Instructress Lion Lioness Priest Priestess female doctor lady doctor woman writer career woman male nurse male prostitute

Generic terms Some linguists have suggested reducing the apparent sexism of the English language by using different pronouns from his/hers, which are seen as exclusive. Shim, for instance, was suggested, but hasn’t caught on! Another option is to use inclusive language such as plural pronouns.

Can you rewrite this so that it is more neutral? A member of the Police Force shall at all times abstain from any activity which is likely to interfere with the impartial discharge of his duties of which is likely to give rise to the impression amongst members of the public that it may so interfere; and in particular a member of the Police Force shall not take any active part in politics. What problems did you encounter? Police regulations 2003, Schedule 1, Regulation 6 states. www.cumbria.police.uk

Sara Mills (1995); Deborah Cameron (1990); Muriel Schultz (1975) Semantic derogation This is when terms that are reserved for use when referring to women have strong negative associations with comparison with the male term. Sara Mills (1995); Deborah Cameron (1990); Muriel Schultz (1975) Male Female Courtier Courtesan Master Mistress Host Hostess Governor Governess Adventurer Adventuress Sir Madam Bachelor Spinster (bachelorette?) Lord Lady King Queen God Goddess Poet/Author Poetess/Authoress

Semantic derogation In what ways are the words on the previous slide negative? (Think of collocations if you are stuck.) In what ways do you think there is evidence of semantic deterioration (Mills 1995) – where words have experienced shifts in meaning. Compare ‘cleaning lady’ with ‘cleaning lord’!

TASK: read the extract from Margaret Doyle’s The A-Z of Non-Sexist Language. Read the extract and consider these questions: To what extent do you feel that there is value in making some of the changes that Doyle suggests? Are some of the problems with terminology valid ones? Doyle’s book was published in 1995. Are some of these items still used? If so, what does that suggest about the process of meaning change in a language? Does your work in this topic lead you to think that English is a sexist language and therefore produces a sexist society, or is it merely reflecting sexism in society as a whole?

Plenary English is an inherently sexist language Boys and girls are brought up and expected to behave in different ways Based on our discussion today, how do you now feel about these statements? Women are conventionally represented in negative ways by the media Women talk more than men

Homework You will shortly be giving some presentations about key elements of language and gender. Your homework is to complete some individual research and wider reading. Bella The speech styles of participants on internet chat rooms and message boards where is not clear whether speakers are male or female. Are there signs of gendered language in action? Tara The use of interruptions and overlaps related to gender Lizzie The representation of female speech on television, for instance in soap operas or dramas. Murti The use of politeness strategies and compliments used in same-sex and mixed talk. Hannah How males and females represent themselves, for example in the writing of ‘lonely hearts’ ads or Valentine’s Day declarations of love. Pippa Lexical items used by male and female speakers in different contexts.