Causes and consequences of ‘gendered’ communication

Term Paper (Advanced seminar) , 2008 , 22 Pages , Grade: 1,0

Didactics for the subject English - Pedagogy, Literature Studies

As Donna Haraway states, all the modern feminist meanings of gender, despite differences, have roots in Simone de Beauvoir’s claim that ‘one is not born a woman’ (de Beauvoir, 1949; 1952, p.249) and in post-Second World War social conditions. Those conditions have enabled constructions of women as a collective historical subject-in-process. The concept of Gender was developed to question and contest the naturalization of sexual difference in multiple areas of struggle. “Feminist theory and practice around gender seek to explain and change historical systems of sexual difference, whereby ‘men’ and ‘women’ are socially constructed and positioned in relations of hierarchy and antagonism.” (Haraway 1991). The refusal to become or to remain a ‘gendered’ ‘woman’ or ‘man’ is a political challenge also against the imaginary narrative of sex and race. Gender refers primarily but not exclusively to women. It defines the term ‘women’ as a very broad and internally differentiated category that includes differences as the highly relevant variables of class, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and age. Of interest are the visible and invisible power mechanisms that influence women’s access to responsibility in social, economic, political, religious, intellectual and cultural life. “Male” and “female” are culturally produced, socially constructed categories and language is often seen as part of what constructs, maintains and reflects these categories. But on the other hand, we need categories to be able to analyse, study and describe in order to find solutions for change. Gender is transdisciplinary and a study of language, that is an essential basis for active participation in society is important. Today’s gender topics are not only of importance for ‘women’. In a continuously changing society they are also of concern for ‘men’ and require their active participation in a restructuring of society. A discussion and (re)negotiation of these issues needs participants who can and will take part equally. Over time, different approaches were developed to interpret differences in communication style between ‘men’ and ‘women’. In the first part of this work I will try to find out: What are the causes for gender-related variation? In the second part I will look at two case studies, “Complaint stories” by Susanne Günthner and “TV discussions” by Helga Kotthoff, in order to answer the intertwined question: What are the consequences of gender-related variation?

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• Introduction
• Causes of 'gendered' communication
  • Gender, Language and Communicative Competence
  • Approaches to explain gender-related variation
    • The Deficit Approach and the Dominance Approach
    • The Difference Approach and Cultural Psychology
    • The Constructivist Approach
• Consequences of 'gendered' communication
  • "Complaint Stories" – A 'female' communicative genre
  • Asymmetrical 'gendered' communication in TV discussions
• Conclusion
• Literature

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte

This seminar paper aims to explore the causes and consequences of 'gendered' communication, examining how language reflects, constructs, and maintains gender divisions. It analyzes different approaches to explaining gender-related variation in communication styles, focusing on the Deficit, Dominance, Difference, and Constructivist perspectives. The paper then delves into two case studies: "Complaint Stories" and "TV discussions," to illustrate the consequences of these variations in real-world communication.

• The role of language in reflecting and constructing gender divisions
• Different theoretical approaches to explaining gender-related variation in communication
• The development and characteristics of 'female' communication patterns, such as "Complaint Stories"
• The impact of gendered communication on social interactions, particularly in public discourse
• The need for a critical understanding of gendered communication and its implications for social change

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel

The introduction provides a historical and theoretical context for the study of gendered communication, drawing on the work of Simone de Beauvoir and Donna Haraway. It emphasizes the social construction of gender and the importance of understanding how language contributes to and reflects these constructions.

The second chapter explores the causes of gender-related variation in communication, examining different theoretical approaches. It discusses the Deficit, Dominance, Difference, and Constructivist perspectives, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses in explaining gendered communication patterns.

The third chapter delves into two case studies: "Complaint Stories" by Susanne Günthner and "TV discussions" by Helga Kotthoff. These studies provide concrete examples of how gendered communication manifests in real-world settings, illustrating the consequences of these variations for social interactions and public discourse.

Schlüsselwörter

The keywords and focus themes of the text include gendered communication, language and gender, communicative competence, gender-related variation, complaint stories, TV discussions, deficit approach, dominance approach, difference approach, constructivist approach, social construction of gender, and gendered communication in public discourse.

• College: Free University of Berlin (Institut für Englische Philologie)
• Course: Linguistic Gender Studies
• Grade: 1,0
• Author: Beate Hakenjos (Author)
• Publication Year: 2008
• Pages: 22
• Catalog Number: V133153
• ISBN (eBook): 9783640396726
• ISBN (Book): 9783640396542
• Language: English
• Tags: Linguistic Gender Studies