language and gender theory overview

Trugill 1983

Women's pronunciation is more formal and is closer to RP than males.

Cheshire 1982

Boys tend to use more non-grammatical forms, like ain't and cuz, than girls.

Lakoff (Robin) 1975

Women use: hedges + fillers; tag questions; apologetic requests, indirect requests, speak less, use fewer expletives, more intensifiers. She argued that these features of speech make women seem more inferior, weak and needy and prevents women from being taken seriously. Apologetic requests: Im sorry for having to ask this....

indirect requests: could someone....

O'Barr and Atkins 1980

Disputed Lakoff, said that it was males and females of low social status who used these linguistic features.

Zimmerman and West 1975

found 96% of interruptions were made by men, suggesting male dominance and superiority in conversation.

Tanner 1990

Differences not similarities.

Men: more concerned with status - interrupt more; gives more direct orders - don't mind conflict; more intensifiers in getting facts and solving problems.

Females: more interested in for bonds - tend to talk less and agree more; more polite indirect orders - to avoid conflict; aim to show understanding by compromising and offering support rather than solutions.

Beattie 1982

Questioned Zimmerman and West's theory that men's interruptions were a sign of dominance. He said it could be to show support and understanding 

Cameron 2007

Argued all theories were biased because they concentrated on the differences between men and women's speech rather than the similarities.

Coates

'Women's talk' falls into four categories 

1) Bitching

2) Chatting

3) House Talk

4) Scandal