INTRODUCTION

(STATE WHAT YOUR THESIS’ THESIS IS, HOW YOU WILL PROVE IT)

A. Broad Statements (1 pages)

B. Research Questions (1-2 pages)

BACKGROUND
(WHAT YOU RESEARCHED)

A. History of the Topic (2-3 Pages)

Original Muted group theory:

Ardener, Edwin, and Shirley Ardener. Perceiving Women. London: Malaby, 1975
https://archive.org/details/perceivingwomen0000unse_h5o7
Kramarae, Cheris. Language and Power. Illinois: Sage Publications, 1984
https://archive.org/details/languagepower0000unse_z5d1/page/n7/mo
de/2up

B. Literature Review (6-7 pages)

ALL THE RESEARCH YOU HAVE DONE
DISCUSSION
A. ADVERTISING (3-4 pages)

B. LITERATURE (4-5 pages)

Things Fall Apart

The Lottery

C. MUTED GROUP THEORY (4-5 pages)

Other literature.

CONCLUSION (1-2 pages)

REFERENCES (1-2 pages)

INTRODUCTION
Your introductions is really well written.
I only want you to tell me where the Broad Statements start and end and where the research
questions start.
Another question I have is if you are still using literature to illustrate your points, you should add
it to the research questions section.
We should follow our outline so the intro should have these two sections.
Some of this seems to be history of the topic, which should probably go in the next section.

A. Broad Statements (1-2 pages)

B. Research Questions (3-4 pages)

Possible research questions:
Why are certain groups muted?

Your thesis:
Language
Group identity is stronger than individual identity as portrayed in the story The Lottery.
Therefore, it is easy for a group to spcagoat and marginalize another less powerful group.
Tradition is strong and peple want to conform to it, as represented in Things Fall Appart.
Here is a good section I found to be your main thesis
“the conformity of individuals to tradiditions as a form of self preservation mutes free will of
individuals because they are forced to make cruel decisions that they wouldn't otherwise make
in order to protect themselves.”

I. Introduction

The representation of women by the advertising industry has shattered the confidence in

those hoping for ads to be more socially aware and diverse, by reinforcing traditional gender

norms in order to appeal to their consumers, the field has muted women by perpetuating gender

stereotypes relating to their products, thus actively continuing to increase a gender divide, where

women are confined to specific gendered expectations, and “male’s attitudes and perceptions

remain guided by traditional values of masculinity” (Palczewski).

Language and the way in which it is expressed in the advertising industry has the power

to both subordinate and liberate (Palczewski). In interpersonal communication, language can be

used to strengthen or weaken the relationships between people. In organizational

communication, such as a political campaign, language can be used to exert power over others.

In public communication, language is necessary to identify a problem before one can solve it.

For example, Kramarae stated that in public speaking, female public speakers often resort to

using sports and war analogies, types of language that most women are not believed to

traditionally associate themselves with according to societal gender stereotypes, in order to relate

to the dominant group consisting of male audiences. As the author states, It is necessary for

women to do so to accomplish their objectives of getting ahead in life (Kramarae).

BACKGROUND

A. History of the Topic (2-3 Pages)

For this reason, struggles over gender discrimination is at its core a struggle over

language. For example, before the 1970s, gender discrimination was a term that did not exist,

even though the act did., During slavery, African women were discriminated against and

sexually assaulted by their white masters. During industrialization, immigrant women were

forced by financial necessity to passively comply with the demands of their bosses. Even today,

women are subjected to work environments where their sex makes them the basis of ridicule,

often in hopes of driving them away from the workplace. These women faced hostile, abusive

work environments, and violent behavior, often discounted by others as simply having a bad boss

or further proof that they do not belong in the rough workplace.

After the second wave of women's movements, women developed a more effective way

to advertise language which allowed them to make their interests more comprehensible to the

dominant group. The women’s center at Cornell University held their first public speak out in

1975, where women united together to define these experiences as sexual harassment and

articulate this harm as discrimination (Palczewski). This example illustrates the complex ways

language has the power to subordinate women in the workplace. It demonstrates the theory that

was first proposed by scholars and social anthropologist Edwin and Shirley Ardener, which

states that people belonging to low-power groups must change their language when

communicating publicly, as their ideas are often overlooked. Women experienced violence
though a form of interpersonal communication. Until they could find a more effective way to

advertise their goals by labeling this behavior as sexual harassment, nothing could be done to

stop it. By coming together as a group and developing a vocabulary that would allow them to

advertise their interests, women were able to get the public to give attention to their demands,

thus achieving public interest that allowed people to understand this behavior as not just

inappropriate but also illegal, and demand changes in social norms.

Language has the power to privilege some groups, while displacing others. This

exemplifies the Muted Group Theory, in which scholars believe that language does not serve all

people equally. This is because language is created through interaction; it is a social product that

is created, maintained, changed by its users, but not all users have equal access to influencing the

language. Those that belong to dominant groups within a culture have more influence over the

language, as the dominant cultures oppress minority groups through the use of language. Women

therefore are a minority group that is muted and dominated by male perception in society.

B. Literature Review (6-7 pages)

II. Literature Review

The ritual practices in the short story, The Lottery, demonstrate attitudes and behaviors

that are the direct cause of peoples subordination as explained by the Muted Group Theory. The

societal values that are exemplified illustrate how members in society lose their individual
identity when they become part of a majority group, which clouds their moral judgment. People

are unwilling to break from the traditional social norms of society because they existed for so

long. It exposes the existence of blind conformity to tradition in this society. This relates to the

muted group theory, and the way in which peoples refuse to break from societal norms and

traditional values, which has led to gender subordination in the workplace.

As explored further by scholar Hobby Blake, The Lottery illustrates the literary technique

of scapegoating.. It is a literary device used to demonstrate how the blind obedience of traditions

leads to consequences of a corrupt society,. This method of discriminating against gender is seen

in a contemporary context. In the workplace for example, women who complained of being

sexually discriminated against were scapegoated as further proof that they do not belong in the

rough workforce (Hobby, year) The opening dialogue of this text is evidence of way in which

discrimination of subordinate groups is so habitual that it has become engraved in society and a

natural part of their livelihood.

The social values and cultural rituals and traditions explored in the text Things Fall

Apart, can also be used to explain people's unwillingness to change thinking when applied to the

Muted Group Theory. For example, when Oknowknwo realizes that his tribe will not follow in

his violence, he takes his own life to avoid facing the changes in his tribe’s traditions. This

connects with the muted group theory because it shows that attitudes that incite violence and

discimination will persist as long as members of society are unwilling to change and deviate

from social norms and traditions.

 Linsay Cobb discusses the main characters in Things Fall Apart and their degree of

connection to society. Okownkow is seen as powerful in society due to his deep connection and

blind following of society’s rules, and his full acceptance of the clan's culture. His father, in

contrast, is seen as a weak member of society due to his separation from the traditions of society.

This connects to the muted group theory because it demonstrates how those who follow the

traditions of modern society, such as the binary male/female stereotypes, are accepted in society,

while those who behave in a way that deviates from the gendered social norms face punishment.

The role of women in this society is confined through gender norms that have been dictated by

men, as their identity is restricted to being a housewife. Okonkwo represents toxic masculinity,

as he discriminates against those who are subordinate through violence. His obsession with

masculinity ultimately led to his ultimate downfall. He looks down on others who are less

successful as being weaker. He extends his perception of masculinity to his tribe through

discrimination in the form of harsh repercussions when someone cannot achieve his own

perception of masculinity, such as beating his child when he fails at his responsibilities that are

meant to prove his masculinity. When applied to The Muted Group theory, this reveals how an

individual's perception of toxic masculinity leads to behavior of discimination.

According to “The Problem with Feminism,” the ideologies that companies employ to

reach their consumers thus becomes a reflection of the current norms of society, which have

drastically changed over generations. As feminism has become more popular with young

women, it has become a profitable and desirable identity to implement within the brand
messages of products. Companies try to increase customer loyalty with their promotion of more

femenstic values. This pattern in advertising in recent years has led scholars to recognize a form

of socially responsible advertising they now refer to as “femvertising,” a term they use to

“describe mainstream commercial advertising that attempts to promote female empowerment or

challenge gender stereotypes” (Fernández). Examples of companies femvertising their products

in order to appeal to consumers are apparent in the updated physical attributes of the same toy

line of Barbie dolls. As evidence, in the year 2000, “in acknowledgment that Barbie is not the

norm and stirred by slumping sales, the Mattel toy company redesigned the dolls to look more

like the kids who play with them” (Palczewski 163). As a result of this new attitude of

femvertising, advertisers have decided to redesign their products to better reflect the feminist

values of the current time period, thereby attempting to change the messages in their products.

Having this type of brand identity allows companies to better market these toys to current

consumers by implementing these feministic messages.

Researcher Henry Kat contributed to this argument. He observed that men and boys are

responsible for the vast majority of violence because most are conditioned to to adhere to gender

norms and utlize violence to prove they are real men, or are risk of being called homophobic and

sexist names. . Katz uses the term “tough guise, asway to to explain that many boys and men

become conditioned through gender norms regarding notions of mascultinty, to shield their

vulnerability prove their manhood early on, so they avoid being ridiculed as names such as

pussies, fags, as well as other sexist and homophobic insults that threaten their self-preserved
sense of manliness. The basic message about violence that young men absorb from Hollywood is

that social violence and discriminartion sis a legitimate tool for settling scores and expressing

manhood. Some other cultural arenas Katz mentions as powerful teaching forces when it comes

to violent masculinity are violent video games, pornography, popular men’s sports, advertizing,

and polticical culture. Katz say that the pressure to conform to violent ideals of manhood can be

even more acute for working class men and men of color because they “often adopt a hyper-

masculine, menacing persona to signal that they’re still men, regardless of what else has been

stripped from them.” This is relevant to the Muted Group Theory because it demonstrates how

the media is a primary cause of this form of discrmination, which conditions boys from an early

age to act and communicate violently through discrinination, in order to preserve their man-made

notions of masculinity .

Another Literary device found in The Lottery is conformity as a means of self

preservation. Conformity to traditions and to the group causes the members to make decisions

that they would not otherwise make. For example, the character Tessi insists her children

participate in the lottery in order to increase her chances of saving herself from being sacrificed.

This demonstrates that group conformity becomes more powerful than individual identity;

societal practices, even as cruel as the ones practiced in this society as part of this ritual, are

powerful enough to make the dynamic of family become irrelevant, as shown in how viciously

selfish a mother can act towards her own children as an attempt to save herself. This connects

to the Muted Group theory because it demonstrates how the conformity of individuals to
traditions as a form of self preservation mutes free will of individuals because they are forced to

make cruel decisions that they wouldn't otherwise make in order to protect themselves.

According to researcher Mary “Okoliein in her journal article , Okonkwo's

Reincarnation,” the narrator's point of view on the role of women in Things Fall Apart is that

they are critically devalued in their society. The cultural norms of women have been dictated by

a society that solely values manliness. Women have no rights in this society. Okonkwo

especially does not see them as equal. One example of this is that they are objectified to solely

be a measurement of a men’s social status. This is evident, as it is socially acceptable to have

more than one wife at a time, with all the wives living together tending to the same house. This

shows that women are treated as a man's property. Another example is that women are

expected to adhere to strict gender roles that confine their purpose. For example, women are

expected to remain in the huts, cook dinner for the husband, and tend to household

responsibilities, where the men are the providers, who have to grow the yams, which are

considered exclusively as the men’s crops, and help the rest of the tribe. It is also socially

acceptable for a man to beat their wives, further showing they are objectified as being the man's

property.