Gendered Language Gendered Language in Societyin Society

Gender Role Development

• Gender—cultural, social, and psychological meanings associated with masculinity or femininity

• Gender roles —various traits designated either masculine or feminine in a given culture

• Gender identity —A person’s psychological sense of being male or female

• Between ages 2-3 years, children can identify themselves and other children as boys or girls. The concept of gender or sex, is, however, based more on outward characteristics such as clothing.

Language Development

• Noam Chomsky asserts that every child is born with a biological predisposition to learn language “universal grammar”

• Motherese or infant directed speech.

• Style of speech used by adults in all cultures to talk to babies and children.

Language Development

• Infant preference for human speech over other sounds– before 6 months can hear differences used in all languages– after 6 months begin to hear only differences used in native

language

• Cooing—vowel sounds produced 2–4 months• Babbling—consonant/vowel sounds between

4 to 6 months• Even deaf infants coo and babble

Language Development

MONTH Speech Characteristic

2 Cooing vowel sounds 4 Babbling consonant/vowel 10 Babbling native language sounds12 One-word stage 24 Two-word stage24+ Sentences

Gender Differences

• Toddler girls tend to play more with dolls and ask for help more than boys

• Toddler boys tend to play more with trucks and wagons, and to play more actively

Gender Differences

• After age 3 years we see consistent gender differences in preferred toys and activities

• Children are more rigid in sex-role stereotypes than adults

Social Learning Theory

Gender roles are acquired through the basic processes of learning, including reinforcement, punishment, and modeling

Gender Schema Theory

– Gender-role development is influenced by the formation of schemas, or mental representations, of masculinity and femininity

– Children actively develop mental categories of masculinity and femininity and categorize these into gender categories or schemas

– Trucks are for boys and dolls are for girls is an example of a gender schema

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development• Jean Piaget (1896–

1980) Swiss psychologist who became leading theorist in 1930s

• Cognitive development is a stage process

• Piaget believed that “children are active thinkers, constantly trying to construct more advanced understandings of the world”

Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Perspective

• Emphasized the child’s interaction with the social world (other people) as a cause of development– Vygotsky believed language to be the

foundation for social interaction and thought

– Piaget believed language was a byproduct of thought

Which Makes Sense 2 U?

– Vygotsky believed language to be the foundation for social interaction and thought

– Piaget believed language was a by-product of thought

Gendered What?

• What do we mean by “gendered language”?

• Examples?

Your Turn to Discuss

• Why does gendered language matter?

• What’s the big deal?

Gender Appropriate Language?

• To ensure that you've used gender -savvy language in your writing, try asking yourself the following questions:

Are Generics Harmful?

• Generics… man, he,

• Do these imply a specific gender’s superiority?

Gender Appropriate Language?

• Have you used "man" or "men" or words containing one of these to refer to people who may be female?

• If so, consider substituting another word. For example, instead of "fireman," try "firefighter.“

• Other examples?

Gender Appropriate Language?

• If you have mentioned someone's gender, was it necessary to do so?

• If you identify someone as a female architect, for example, do you (or would you) refer to someone else as a "male architect"?

Gender Appropriate Language?

• And if you then note that the woman is “an beautiful curvy mother of two”, do you mention that the man is a “muscular, handsome father of three”?

• Unless gender and gender-related traits are relevant to your point, leave them unmentioned.

• Looks, figure, clothes, parenthood…

Gender Appropriate Language?

• Do you use any occupational stereotypes?

• Examples…• “female doctor”• “stewardess”• “actress”

• Watch for the use of female pronouns for elementary school teachers and male ones for scientists, for example.

Source: http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/gender.html#7

So What?

• Why does this stuff (appropriate language) matter? Seriously…

It’s What’s Expected

• Gender role expectations are transmitted in part through a culture’s use of language.

• These can be subtle or not-so-subtle.

Examples of Influence• Policeman… suggests that this is a

male job.

• Firefighter implies that either sex might hold the job. Gender neutral.

• Sex bias in language can influence perceived opportunities.

Watch This

• Click here for a video summary of the use of gendered language in society.

• http://vimeo.com/11194487 • 6 min

He Man• He• Man• “Mankind”

So What?

• Would you care more/less if you were a member of the opposite sex?

Introducing…Mr or Mrs

• Would you care if you were introduced as Mrs. if you’re a man?

• Would you care if you were introduced as Mr. if you’re a woman?

Introducing…or… Ms…?

• Does “Ms.” Solve anything?

• Do you use the title Ms.

• Why or why not?

Ms. Mizzz

• Used as a courtesy title before the surname or full name of a woman or girl: Ms. Doe; Ms. Jane Doe.

• Used in informal titles for a woman to indicate the epitomizing of an attribute or activity: Ms. Fashionable; Ms. Volleyball.Source: http://www.answers.com/topic/ms-2#ixzz1WYozUcuA

Gender Appropriate Language?

• Do you use language that in any way shows a lack of respect for either sex?

• Have you used "he," "him," "his," or "himself" to refer to people who may be include females?

Your Turn to Discuss• How do men

and women use language differently?

• Examples?

• Let’s BRAINSTORM…

• Type what comes to mind quickly!!

Your Turn to Discuss

• How has the gendered use of language changed over time?

• Examples of gendered use of language?

• Why are men less touchy-feely?

Your Turn to Discuss

• Barriers to communication?

• Examples of how men and women use communication differently that can create problems?

Gendered Language in Politics

• Hillary and Bill Clinton did largely conform to their gender roles in the interviews, their language reflecting the historic power relation between men and women. 

• http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070424093752.htm

• On further analysis, however, it was noticed that many of the differences were attributable to…

• …who was doing the interview

• ….their gender• …rather than who was

the interviewee.

Food for Thought

• Is gendered language helpful or harmful in politics?

• Or does it depend on the canditate’s gender?

• Click here…• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKP71pL-tfY

Mars vs. Venus?• Why are “men from Mars” and

“women from Venus”…?

http://www.amazon.com/Mars-Women-Venus-Communication-Relationships/dp/006016848X

Quotes about Men

• Please click the link and find one quote that strikes your interest.

• http://www.notable-quotes.com/m/men_quotes.html

Come back and paste your quote into the discussion.

Quotes about Women• Please click the

link and find one quote that strikes your interest.

• Come back and paste it into the discussion

• http://www.notable-quotes.com/w/women_quotes.html

What about Body Language?

• How to Tell if a Guy is Attracted?

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNxRzsMBZKs&feature=rela

ted

– Proximity?– Touch?– Lean in?– Smiling?

Watch This• Here’s a (strange) video about the

using an Un-Gendered pronoun in the English language.

• http://vimeo.com/20414580 (5:30)

But What About…?• We live in a patriarchal society.• Married women take the

husband’s last name usually.• Children are typically given the

husband’s surname.

• So… isn’t gendered language OK?

Your Turn to Discuss• What are some

ways that gendered language will be important to the continuing globalization processes?

• How will changes in gendered language affect progress toward equality between men and women around the world?

Questions?• Feel free to ask.

End of Seminar

• Thank you for attending!

• Listen to the gendered use of language in your surroundings!

• You’ll be surprised what you hear!