Sociolinguistics: Sex and Gender

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Questions and Answers

What is the main distinction between the terms 'sex' and 'gender' in sociolinguistics?

Sex refers to biological or physiological differences between males and females, whereas gender refers to a social identity constructed through social actions.

What is the main idea behind the dynamic approach to gender in sociolinguistics?

The dynamic approach sees gender as differences in social constructs, where speakers are actively 'doing gender' through their actions and behavior.

What is meant by the concept of 'asymmetric gender conformity'?

It refers to the discrepancy in how typically male and typically female activities or objects are viewed, where female activities are seen as 'marked' and male activities are seen as 'unmarked'.

How do parents 'enforce' gender for babies, according to studies?

Parents change their behavior based on their knowledge of the baby's gender. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main idea behind the principle that 'gender is learned, enforced, reinforced, and promoted'?

Gender is a social identity that is acquired and maintained through social interactions and expectations. Signup and view all the answers

How do parents unintentionally reinforce traditional gender roles in children through their reactions to toy choices?

Parents of small children reward their children's choice of gender-appropriate toys, such as girls playing with dolls and boys playing with trucks. Signup and view all the answers

What is the key difference between 'sex' and 'gender' in sociolinguistics?

Sex refers to biologically or physiologically based distinctions between males and females, while gender refers to a social identity constructed through social actions. Signup and view all the answers

What is one argument against the claim that women use tentative language, and what is meant by tentative language?

One argument is that features like rising intonation are not meant to show uncertainty, but rather to build rapport and continue the conversation. Tentative language refers to the use of hedges, rising intonation, and tag questions, which may weaken the utterance by adding uncertainty. Signup and view all the answers

What is the deficit approach to language and gender, and which two researchers are associated with it?

The deficit approach defines adult male language as the standard and women's language as deficient. Otto Jespersen and Robin Lakoff are two researchers associated with this approach. Signup and view all the answers

What do Labov's and Trudgill's research suggest about the relationship between women's language use and standard forms?

Trudgill claims that women use more standard forms to acquire social power, while Labov's research suggests that women use standard forms only when the change is a stable linguistic variable or a change from above. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Sex and Gender

Sex refers to biologically or physiologically based distinctions between males and females
Gender is a social identity that emerges or is constructed through social actions

Principles of Gender

Gender is learned, enforced, reinforced, and promoted
Gender is collaborative, connecting the individual to the social order
Gender is not something we have, but something we do

Approaches to Gender

Deficit approach: defines male language as the standard, and women's language as deficient
Dominance approach: sees females as the subordinate group whose difference in style of speech results from male supremacy
Difference approach: differentiates men and women as belonging to different 'sub-cultures' due to socialization
Dynamic approach: sees gender as differences in social constructs, speakers are "doing gender"

Gender Conformity and Enforcement

Gender conformity is asymmetric, with male activities and behaviors seen as unmarked, and female activities and behaviors seen as marked
Parents often change their behavior based on the gender of a baby, rewarding gender-appropriate toy choices

Sex and Gender Difference

Sex refers to biological distinctions between males and females, while gender refers to social identity constructed through social actions
Sex and gender are not interchangeable terms

Language and Gender Stereotypes

The statement "women use tentative language" is challenged by researchers who argue that features like rising intonation are used to build rapport, not show uncertainty
The deficit approach defines male language as the standard, and women's language as deficient, with researchers like Otto Jespersen and Robin Lakoff following this approach
Women's use of standard language forms is attributed to their use of language to acquire social power, but results are contradictory in research by Labov and Trudgill

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Description

Distinguish between sex and gender in sociolinguistics, understanding the biological and social aspects of gender identity and its construction.