“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’.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Gender
- Definition of gender
- History of gender-theories
- Conversation analysis
- What is conversation analysis?
- Analytic program of conversation analysis
- Language difference between men and women
- Analysing gender and power in discourse- excerpts from “Sex and the City”
- Facts about “Sex and the City”
- Plot of the scene
- Extract
- Analysis of extract
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper aims to explore the relationship between language and gender, specifically focusing on how women and men use language differently. It begins by defining the term "gender" and outlining its distinction from "sex." It then delves into the history of gender theories and how they have shaped our understanding of language and gender. The paper explores the following key themes:- The concept of "doing gender" as a social accomplishment
- The historical development of feminist language and gender research
- The application of conversation analysis to the study of gender in discourse
- The analysis of an excerpt from "Sex and the City" to illustrate the interplay between gender and power in discourse
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction highlights the significance of gender in shaping social interactions and introduces the paper's focus on analyzing language differences between men and women.
The "Gender" chapter provides a definition of gender, emphasizing its distinction from sex and the social nature of its construction. It then traces the historical development of gender theories and the impact of the feminist movement on our understanding of gender inequalities and language use.
The "Conversation analysis" chapter introduces the methodology of conversation analysis, explaining its origins and key principles. It outlines the analytical program of conversation analysis, highlighting its focus on understanding naturally occurring talk-in-interaction and the methods individuals employ to coordinate their discourse.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The primary keywords and focus topics of this paper include: language and gender, conversation analysis, "doing gender," feminist language research, discourse analysis, gender and power, "Sex and the City."- Quote paper
- Cornelia Güth (Author), 2013, Language and Gender, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/231044
