GENDER AND DISCOURSE

Intro:

Many people hold firm beliefs about the differing ways in which men and women communicate,
the reasons why they are different and the problems their differences cause. Yet surprisingly few
of these widespread beliefs are supported by the evidence of recent research on language and
gender. That research does not say that there are no differences between the sexes. It does,
however, challenge the perception that what divides them is more significant than what they have
in common.

We are constantly hearing that men and women use language differently. Women use rapport
talk to establish meaningful connection with others, while men use report talk to gain status in
relation to others. These observations are truisms, but are they actually true? Is it true that gender,
along with other dimensions of identity, such as age and social class, has some influence on
verbal behaviour? 

Do men and women speak different languages?’ is the rhetorical question posed by Deborah
Cameron. Furthermore, she wrote the novel "Do Men and Women Really Speak Different
Languages?" 

The purpose of Cameron’s book:

To separate facts from myths, evidence from anecdote, and the reasonable conclusion from
speculative and sweeping generalizations. The results of such generalizations can indeed be
harmful – she cites the example of men not being hired for call-centre work because it is assumed
that they will not be as good as women when it comes to communication (she shows that male
call-centre workers are just as good as their female coworkers). Attitudes based on the supposed
innate skills – or lack of them – have been harmful for women in the past and do not bode well for
men in the future where manual work has largely disappeared.

Cameron’s theory:

Cameron challenges the MYTH OF MARS AND VENUS.States that assumptions regarding
gender differences are misleading.And highlights why it's dangerous to generalize about the
impact of gender differences on language.

She also claims that verbal hygiene is a way to make sense of language, and that it represents a
symbolic attempt to force order on the social world,for example:

A women's verbal conduct is important in many cultures; women have been taught in the proper
ways of talking just as they have been taught in the proper ways of dressing and in the use of
cosmetics.

Cameron believes that wherever and whenever a matter has been investigated, men and
women face standard expectations about the appropriate mode of speech for their gender.

The beliefs that back Cameron’s theory:

 The way of gender interaction has perhaps risen from childhood, particularly from games
and their activities.
 She disagrees with the general theory that men are more competitive in speech and that
women do not challenge each other.

 She states that women’s language and general personalities and interests change between
“5th and 6th grade”, the UK equivalent of years 6 and 7.

 Both genders gossip about others, not just women. And women can use it as a source of
power to talk about others.

 Boys respect male dominance, girls do not like female dominance.

Examples:

1. The previously mentioned beliefs vary so much depending where and when you look.
The belief that men and women speak differently is found in most societies, but what
people believe the differences actually are differs considerably from one to another.
Among contemporary westerners, for instance, the prevailing belief is that women are
less direct communicators than men, and that their preferred style of interaction is co-
operative and supportive, whereas men are more competitive and assertive. Yet other
cultures insist that the opposite is true: it is men who take pride in their diplomacy and
verbal delicacy, while lamenting that women are so aggressively plain-spoken.(activity
people are engaged in)
2. Nowadays it is believed that women are naturally better than men with words. However,
less than a 100 years ago the opposite was stated.(personal identity)
3. The idea that women talk more than men is misleading.In informal exchanges among
equals, there is usually little difference in how much men and women talk. In more
formal situations – business meetings, seminars, public debates – the commonest
finding (with some exceptions) is that men talk more than women.(it has to do with
status; in  most institutions the highest-status positions are still far more likely to be
occupied by men).

Conclusion:

  Linguistic researchers don’t dispute that gender influences linguistic behaviour: any social
division that affects the way people's lives are lived is bound to affect their use of
language.Cameron claims that differences in language use between males and females are
due to the social activity,power , status and the personal identity of the individuals. However
since people vary it is impossible to generalize the differences in language use between male
and female.  Stories about the two sexes coming from different planets, or having different
kinds of brains, cannot account for the complexity and the diversity of men's and women's
language in the 21st century world.
Verbal hygiene:

Verbal Hygiene is a book written by Deborah Cameron, in 1995, in which she analyzes the
attempt of our society to regulate and restrict the use of our language. By doing this the
author created a personal theory, in which she gives her own opinion on the restrains men
and women put on language. 

Cameron’s theory:

Surprisingly Cameron does not criticize verbal hygiene, instead she claims that it is a way
to make sense of our language and it also represents a symbolic attempt to impose order
on a social world. 

Cameron also addresses all language 'experts' to discuss about the 'Verbal Hygiene' values
in a rational and critical spirit

Examples of verbal hygiene:

The teaching of English grammar in schools :

To discover where gender diversity in language comes from, we have to look back at where
it is taught, this is why Cameron decided to analyze the teaching of the English language in
grammar schools. Apparently the 'socialization process' in schools is a cause of the
'girlification', that demonstrates that girls are more likely to use lexis and grammar around
feminine interests, whereas boys are would have different kinds of speech habits.

Summary of the reasons of gender differences in language use:

In summary, gender influences language-use for three main reasons. First, it affects what
people habitually do, and the way people talk is always shaped by the demands of the
activity they are engaged in. Second, gender is linked to power and status, and these play a
significant part in the dynamics of verbal interaction. Third, gender is an element of
personal identity, and communicating identity is one of the key functions of language –
though since gender identities are varied rather than uniform, the language used to express
them will be equally varied. Together, these three factors explain why there are gender
differences in language