“It is not simply that women and men are seen to be different, but that this male-female difference is superimposed on so many aspects of the social world that a cultural connection is thereby forged between sex and virtually every other aspect of human experience.” With this quote I would like to introduce to the topic of language and gender. Gender is nowadays an international term and is a big field in science. In this paper, I would like to focus on how women and men use language differently. In order to do so, it is at first important to present a handy definition of what ‘gender’ actually is and what the difference between ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ is. Based on this, it is necessary to give some information on how theories of gender and language have developed. The next step will be to analyze the relationship between gender and language through conversation analysis. Therefore, I will first explain shortly what conversation analysis is and then come to analyze gender in an excerpt from ‘Sex and the City’.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Gender
2.1. Definition of gender
2.2. History of gender-theories
3. Conversation analysis
3.1. What is conversation analysis?
3.2. Analytic program of conversation analysis
3.3. Conversation analysis and gender
4. Language difference between men and women
5. Analysing gender and power in discourse- excerpts from “Sex and the City”
5.1. Facts about “Sex and the City”
5.2. Plot of the scene
5.3. Extract
5.4 Analysis of extract
6. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Topics
The primary objective of this paper is to explore the relationship between language and gender through the lens of conversation analysis, specifically examining how power dynamics and gendered identities are performed in everyday discourse and popular media.
- The definition and theoretical evolution of gender as a social accomplishment.
- The foundational principles of Conversation Analysis (CA) and its methodology.
- Historical perspectives on language differences between men and women, including the critique of deficit models.
- A practical discourse analysis of a scene from "Sex and the City" to illustrate gendered performance.
- The construction of postfeminist feminine identity in contemporary media.
Excerpt from the Book
5.3. Extract
Setting: Big and Carrie are in Big’s kitchen, preparing a meal. Big is standing chopping ingredients, and Carrie is seated, shucking ears of corn. Piano music plays in the background.
1 […]
2 Carrie: I’m thinking. I’m going to sell my apartment and put the money towards heaven on 5th
3 Big: [grins] why? you love your apartment!
4 Carrie: I know. but there’s plenty of room in the new place and besides I [pause] I want to make us a life there/ you know I [pause] I want it to be ours
5 Big: it IS ours/ I bought it for us [continues to grin with an eyebrow lifted]
6 Carrie: and that’s so amazing but YOU bought it = so really it’s your place and if anything were to happen. [shrugs]
7 Big: what’s going to happen? [looks straight to her]
8 Carrie: [lightly shrugs shoulders] come on/ I have to be smart here (…) we’re not married= I’d have no legal rights you know to / to this home that I built. with you
9 Big: did you/ wanna get married? [looks at her again]
10 Carrie: [eyes are darting up and down] well. I didn’t [pause] I didn’t. think that was an option
11 Big: what if it was an option? [looks intently at her]
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the topic of language and gender, outlining the paper's focus on defining these terms and analyzing their relationship through conversation analysis.
2. Gender: This section provides definitions of gender as a social construct and reviews historical theories, ranging from deficit and dominance models to current discursive approaches.
3. Conversation analysis: This chapter explains the origins and methodology of CA, describing it as an empirical study of naturally occurring interaction.
4. Language difference between men and women: This section examines historical and influential research regarding gendered speech patterns, notably critiquing Robin Lakoff’s work on female language deficiency.
5. Analysing gender and power in discourse- excerpts from “Sex and the City”: This chapter applies the previously discussed concepts to a specific dialogue, analyzing how gender, power, and identity are performed by the characters.
6. Conclusion: This final section summarizes that gender is a socially constructed, context-dependent phenomenon that requires study within localized, specific interactional settings.
Keywords
Conversation Analysis, Gender, Language, Discourse, Power, Social Construct, Postfeminist, Identity, Interaction, Sex and the City, Lakoff, Performance, Communication, Gendered Identities, Sociolinguistics
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this publication?
This paper focuses on the interplay between language and gender, exploring how social and cultural factors influence speech and how gendered identities are actively constructed in discourse.
What are the primary thematic areas explored?
The paper covers the definition of gender, the history of gender theories, the methodology of conversation analysis, and a practical application of these concepts in contemporary television media.
What is the main research objective?
The goal is to demonstrate how gender is performed in everyday interaction by utilizing the methodology of conversation analysis on a chosen text excerpt.
Which scientific method is applied?
The author employs Conversation Analysis (CA), a method dedicated to the study of recorded, naturally occurring talk-in-interaction to understand the social organization of human action.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body defines gender and conversational analysis, critiques early language theories, and provides an in-depth analysis of a scene from "Sex and the City" to illustrate gender negotiation.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Conversation Analysis, Gender, Discourse, Power, Social Construct, Identity, and Performance.
How does the author define 'doing gender'?
The author references Kessler, McKenna, West, and Zimmermann, describing 'doing gender' as the idea that gender is not a fixed attribute but a social accomplishment and activity performed through discourse.
How does the provided excerpt demonstrate gender power dynamics?
The dialogue illustrates a power imbalance where Carrie seeks approval and expresses insecurity about her legal status, while Big adopts an assertive and self-confident stance, eventually dictating the direction of the conversation.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Cornelia Güth (Autor:in), 2013, Language and Gender, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/231044
