The categorisation of humans into various gender related groups is something spanning across time and cultures. Possible causes of such divisions include grammatical forms of communication, a prospect investigated by structuralism. A variety of approaches concerned with the classification of language in the mind (Jenkins, 1992), it demonstrates just how the power of spoken and written word creates detachments between men and women. Key thinkers including Claude Lévi-Strauss and Ferdinand de Saussure are credited with introducing and popularising the movement and evidence provided by Bourdieu, Louie & Low and Abu-Lughod shows the utilisation of verbal communication in contrasting areas. These ethnographies display structuralism via the linguistic communications they detail, with their contexts holding great importance as they inform meaning (Schirato & Yell, 2000). Interpretations of the organisation of a Kabyle house, the significance of ‘wen-wu’ in Eastern Asia and hushed conversations between Bedouin women all relate to the divisive nature of language in societies. The intention of this report is to determine the degree to which language-based communication establishes the gender-based groups individuals belong to, using structuralism to explain my reasoning.
A popular topic in anthropological circles since Giambattista Vico published ‘The New Science’ in 1725, in which structuralism is described as a key mental component of the “instinctively poetic” human race (Hawkes,
Cameron, D. (2003). Gender and language ideologies. In J. Holmes, & M. Meyerhoff (eds), The handbook of language and gender (pp. 447 – 467). Oxford: Blackwell.
Gender has been described as masculine or feminine characteristics that encompass gender identity sex as well as social roles (Nobelius 2004). According to sexologist John Money, there is a difference between gender as a role and the biologically of differences in sex (Udry 1994). Within scholarly disciplines, cultures and contexts, gender frequently has its own mean, contextual frame of reference and the manner in which it is used to describe a variety of issues and characteristics. The sociocultural codes, conventions and the suggested and literal rules that accompany the notion of gender are vast and diverse. There has been and continues to be much scholarly debate regarding the idea of gender and how it has been viewed historically; as well as changes in the grammatical use of the
“Sex Differences” is an essay written by a professor of linguistics named Ronald Macaulay. In the essay, he pointed out that there were no gender differences regarding to language development. He talked about various stereotypes about how men and women speak. He also explains in depth about how social environment made an impact on the talking between men and women. He also concluded that those linguists who still believe in that theory only continue to do so even if what they found in their research is not statistically significant. In many ways, Macaulay’s essay is persuasive. Through this essay, one would agree with him that there is no different form of language in which women and men speak.
Gender as a Social Construction This annotated bibliography is focused on research that supports the idea that gender has been socially constructed. Haslanger’s chapter offers an understanding of what is meant by the term ‘socially constructed’ and how gender can be defined from this viewpoint. Zimman complements Haslanger’s argument by explaining that it is our discourse that influences our perceptions of gender. Eckert and McConnell-Ginet’s chapter is helpful when explaining how gender is socially constructed by exploring how from birth we are treated and labeled according to whether we’ are male or female.
Language and Gender is a book composed by Penelope Eckert and Sally McConnell-Ginet. It is "another prologue to the investigation of the connection amongst sex and dialect utilize" and is a top to bottom investigation of how men and ladies utilize dialect in an unexpected way. It contains a presentation and nine parts. Different sections examine the social development of sex, social philosophies of dialect, arranging discourse, sex restriction in dialect, and universal perspectives of dialect.
According to Weatherall (2002), interest into the complex interaction of language and gender as a field of study arose during the 70s second wave of feminism within the context of popular and scholarly feminism. Linguists, anthropologists, and sociologists as well have displayed an interest into this field of study in order to explain the correlated patterning of language, culture, and society.
In chapter one, we dive into the communication of gender and culture. Furthermore, chapter 2 is focused on theory and gender development and how it affects an individual since youth. Chapter one goes into detail on how the classification of the society of sex and gender are the same but define two separate ideas. Sex is the scientific classification used and given since birth that is determined by the physical attributes. Also, Gender is socially constructed and expressed meaning it is not solely
Throughout history men have always been consider to be the more dominant and aggressive sex therefore allowing them to take on more of a powerful and leadership like role amongst their community. Although this sort of power has been in play for generations it has allowed for woman to not always be able to express their opinions on a particular subject or be heard by the male population at all. In today’s society we still see many examples of how men are still dominating culture and the language that surrounds it through the idea of muted group theory and the relationship it has between men and woman
Language plays an important role in society. In large extent it is a mirror of it while at the same time it functions as means of constructing and maintaining that society. As a phenomenon of society, language reflects all the perspectives of human society. Sexism in language has been a controversial topic in sociolinguists since its inception. In this chapter, a historical overview will be made and a definition of sexist language will be provided.
Though they may be unique to various cultures, societies, and countries, all humans use and have language. It's the foundation and reinforcement of society, allowing us to communicate concisely and specifically. Although every living organism has communication, humans are the only ones (that we know of) to have language as we know it. But what does this do, how does it benefit us? Is it language that separates humans from other animals, bacteria, and organisms? How does something so inherent to us have such a large impact? The answer quite simply is because of how it helps and shows our learning. Allow us to dive further into this intriguing concept.
The actions that I reveal when I am communicating to an audience are discussing a dull subject, poor preparation and lack of self-confidence. I often chose topics that may interest me, but not my audience. The people in the audience seem to not be interested in what I am saying, which is shown through their tired face expressions, daydreaming and are distracted by other actions taking place or their personal belongings. In addition to this, I do not prepare for a speech as thoroughly as I should. I tend to not know exactly how I am going to state my thoughts clearly because I wait until the last minute to practice my speech and it makes it hard to remember exactly what I’m trying to say. Both of these habits develop the lack of self-confidence I have when presenting to an audience. I worry about what people may think of my appearance, the message I am trying to send through my words and how I present the message. The combination of these flaws results in the bad habits I experience during public speaking, which includes shaking, stuttering, heart palpitations and nervousness. These bad habits prevent me from reaching my full potential of being an effective communicator. Although the points I mentioned stand to be true, I want to set goals so that I can improve my communication skills and follow better practices to grow as a communicator.
The foci of these studies have been the way the discursive practices are used and what gendered reflections this use shows. Some of these studies stress discourse as an anthropological tradition (Bucholtz, 2003). This point of view highlights how language is used in the cultural practices of the human beings. It also cares for the existing differences between men and women; but most importantly the closed relationship between culture and language use Explain
Effective Communication: performance assessments were a good demonstration of how I enhanced the effectiveness of my written communication skills. When I was taking the Care of the Older Adult course, I demonstrated the importance of assessing and planning for the communication needs of the older adults. It was in the Health and Wellness Through Nutritional Science course that I was enlightened about the role of effective communication in mitigating the effects of nutritional ignorance and misunderstandings, which were identified as the root of the health most problems. The health assessment video task demonstrates the effectiveness of my oral and written communication and the use of electronic technology to communicate. Also, the Information Management and the Application of Technology course demonstrated how I can use electronic technology to achieve effective communication.
Referring to our lesson, self-esteem is the collective way in which we regard ourselves, furthermore: self-esteem is central in how we communicate, and affects how we converse with others. Example: if a person has low self-esteem they will not be as likely to add to a conversation, nor voice their opinion during a debate, rationalizing that their opinion is not important. Addressing the second question; a person must be aware of how they are communicating, using body language, facial expressions, in addition to the words being spoken. In communication if a person comes across as crass or arrogant what they are stating will not be heard; rather: the listeners will be “hearing the tone and gestures,” not the words. Communication is two-way, speakers must be self-aware, visualizing the outcome of their contribution to the conversation, shaping their thoughts carefully to produce the optimum message. Concluding: a speaker must be self-aware of the message and delivery of the message, producing a thoughtful, well-received message will effectively boost the speakers’ self-esteem.
Today, texting and social media are constantly used by millions of individuals. These avenues for communication allow for constant connection available anywhere in the world. With this convenience and increased conversation, the English language has evolved tremendously. Users are accustomed to utilizing slang words and shortcuts to get their point across. In addition, autocorrect or spell check are not always on or available, so simple grammar mistakes can go unnoticed. These factors promote informal articulation and have led to the devaluation of formal speech. With technology continuing to progress and social media’s growing presence, the future of formal grammar in the English language is unclear despite its lasting importance today.