Gender theories

Dominance (Zimmerman and west) - 

• Men are dominant over women
• Men are more likely to interrupt than women
• Men use language in a way that reflects their power and status
• Women use language in a way that reflects their subordinate position in society
• Men are more likely to assume they are entitled to take over the conversation
• 99% of interruptions are made by men

Deficit (Robin Lakoff) -

• Women should be ladylike
• Males language is stronger, more desirable and prestigious.
• Women use tag questions to show uncertainty
• Women hedge (kind of)
• Women use super polite terms
• Women use empty adjectives (lovely)
• Women use modal verbs (should, would)
• Women have special lexis for things like colours
• Women avoid using coarse language and expletives (swearing)
• Women overuse qualifiers (I think that)
  

Difference (Deborah Tannen) -

 

Status vs. support - men see language as a means of asserting dominance; women see it as a way of confirming/supporting ideas.

 

Independence vs. intimacy - men like to do thing independently; women seek support and company.

 

Advice vs. understanding - men see language as problem solving; women see it as a means of empathy.

 

Information vs. feelings - males are concerned with the facts; women with emotions.

 

Orders vs. proposals - men use imperatives; females use hidden directives.

 

Conflict vs. compromise - men will argue; women will try to find a middle ground.


Discursive theory

• Deborah Cameron goes against all the other theories.
• 'Your genes don't determine your genes'