18 Questions
What is the main criticism of Lakoff's Deficit Model?
It portrays women's language as weak and inferior
What is the main argument of the Dominance Model?
Men use language to dominate in mixed-sex interactions
Who criticized the Dominance Model for its methodology?
Geoff Beattie
What is the main idea of Deborah Cameron's book 'The Myth of Mars and Venus'?
Most research on gender and language looks for differences, not similarities
What is the main conclusion of Janet Hyde's meta-analysis?
There are more similarities than differences in the way people use language
Who is the author of the book 'You Just Don't Understand'?
Deborah Tannen
What is the main criticism of Tannen's book 'You Just Don't Understand'?
It misinterprets previous research studies
What is the focus of Peter Trudgill's study in Norwich in the 1970s?
Non-standard consonant patterns in women's language use
What is a major flaw in Lakoff's research?
Overemphasis on male language as the norm
According to Zimmerman and West, what is a characteristic of male language in mixed-sex interactions?
It seeks to dominate
What is a limitation of the Deficit Model?
It assumes female language is inferior
What is a key idea in Deborah Tannen's work?
Male and female language are different but equal
What is a finding of Peter Trudgill's study in Norwich?
Men use more non-standard consonant patterns than women
What is a criticism of research on language and gender?
It is too focused on differences between men and women
What is a key idea in Janet Hyde's meta-analysis?
There are more similarities than differences in language use between men and women
What is a characteristic of the Dominance Model?
It suggests male language is used to dominate interactions
What is a finding of Jenny Cheshire's study in Reading?
Girls use more standard features than boys
What is a key idea in Lesley Milroy's study in Belfast?
Women with high-density social networks use more non-standard features than men
Study Notes
Gender Representation and Stereotypes
- Language can perpetuate gender stereotypes, marking male as the norm and female as weak
- Lakoff (1975) developed the Deficit Model, which posits that women's language is inadequate and inferior to men's language
- Lakoff's list includes features such as tags, hedges, and indirect speech, which are seen as characteristic of women's language
Criticism of Deficit Model
- O'Barr and Atkins (1980) criticized the Deficit Model, arguing that women's language is not inherently weak, but rather a language of power
- Research has been criticized for being flawed, with methodological issues and biased sampling
Dominance Model
- Zimmerman and West (1975) developed the Dominance Model, which posits that men dominate mixed-sex interactions and interrupt women more frequently
- However, Geoff Beattie (1982) countered that interruptions are not gender-specific, and Fishman developed the Dominance Model further
- Women are seen as maintaining relationships through "conversational shitwork"
Difference Model
- Tannen (1990) proposed the Difference Model, which suggests that men and women have different communication styles
- However, the model has been criticized for misinterpreting previous studies and oversimplifying the complexities of language and gender
- The model has been popularized by authors such as John Gray, who argue that men and women are fundamentally different in their communication styles
Diversity and Criticism of Difference Model
- Deborah Cameron (2007) argued that the search for differences in language and gender has led to the myth of Mars and Venus
- Janet Hyde's meta-analysis (2005) showed that there are more similarities than differences in the way people use language
- Non-gender-focused studies have also challenged the idea that language use is fundamentally different between men and women
Non-Gender-Focused Studies
- Trudgill (1970s) found that women in Norwich used fewer non-standard consonant patterns than men
- Cheshire (1982) found that girls in Reading used more standard features than boys
- Milroy (1987) found that women with high-density social networks in Belfast used more non-standard features than men with low-density social networks
Gender Representation and Stereotypes
- Language can perpetuate gender stereotypes, marking male as the norm and female as weak
- Lakoff (1975) developed the Deficit Model, which posits that women's language is inadequate and inferior to men's language
- Lakoff's list includes features such as tags, hedges, and indirect speech, which are seen as characteristic of women's language
Criticism of Deficit Model
- O'Barr and Atkins (1980) criticized the Deficit Model, arguing that women's language is not inherently weak, but rather a language of power
- Research has been criticized for being flawed, with methodological issues and biased sampling
Dominance Model
- Zimmerman and West (1975) developed the Dominance Model, which posits that men dominate mixed-sex interactions and interrupt women more frequently
- However, Geoff Beattie (1982) countered that interruptions are not gender-specific, and Fishman developed the Dominance Model further
- Women are seen as maintaining relationships through "conversational shitwork"
Difference Model
- Tannen (1990) proposed the Difference Model, which suggests that men and women have different communication styles
- However, the model has been criticized for misinterpreting previous studies and oversimplifying the complexities of language and gender
- The model has been popularized by authors such as John Gray, who argue that men and women are fundamentally different in their communication styles
Diversity and Criticism of Difference Model
- Deborah Cameron (2007) argued that the search for differences in language and gender has led to the myth of Mars and Venus
- Janet Hyde's meta-analysis (2005) showed that there are more similarities than differences in the way people use language
- Non-gender-focused studies have also challenged the idea that language use is fundamentally different between men and women
Non-Gender-Focused Studies
- Trudgill (1970s) found that women in Norwich used fewer non-standard consonant patterns than men
- Cheshire (1982) found that girls in Reading used more standard features than boys
- Milroy (1987) found that women with high-density social networks in Belfast used more non-standard features than men with low-density social networks
This quiz explores how language perpetuates gender stereotypes and the criticisms of the Deficit Model, which posits that women's language is inadequate and inferior to men's language. Learn about the features of women's language and the arguments against this model.
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