Gender Language and Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Gender Language and Power - Essay ExampleBody Various theorists have focused on how males and females disagree in the usage of language, one such theory is the Dominance Approach, and this approach has figured out that the dissimilarity between language usage of males and females is caused due to the difference between the degree of power findd by males and females. The approach states that women abut lack of power in their speech and they use language in symmetry to the subordinate role expected from them by the society, where as males use language too clearly exhibit power and they clearly reflect the role of transcendence assigned to them by the society. Robin Lakoff was one of the early researchers to determine the difference between the usage of language exhibited by both genders and the research even proved that this imbalance is caused due to difference in authority. Lackoff identified that the language used my females is consisted of characteristics that exhibits empa thy, lack of swear run-in that can really hurt, very polite words, words that exhibit intensity, words that contain emptiness, words that request for opinion from others, opinions that lack affirmation. Words and phrases such as oh my god, extremely beautiful, isnt it the best? kind off, gravid performance. Lackoffs observation of how females use language clearly exhibits that women lack confidence. According to Lakoffs observation, the society is dominated by males and in this society, women are considered as subordinates to males and thus the lack of authority in their speech is expected by the society and same characteristics are even expected by women while they conduct behaviors in companionable settings (WEATHERALL, p.57, 2002). Dale Spenders study even clearly state that society views females as a subordinate to males and the language used by females is dominated by the authority and superiority of males and this is majorly witness able in male dominated society (CHRISTIE, p.121, 2000). Recent studies have linked language usage of both the genders with the predilection of relationship, rather than authority and dominance. These studies have concluded that males use language and speech to transfer and receive information, where as females use language to conduct the process of interacting with others. The authority males and females interact with same gender or different gender even depends on the groups they joined in their early life as kids. These studies further arouse that males and females use same body language or words with different meaning, for example males might nod their head while exhibiting acceptance and females might not to exhibit that they want to listen more or obtain more information. This approach is recognized as difference approach, this approach focuses on the different shipway males and females use language. According to Tannen, conflict arises when males and females from different cultural backgrounds interact with each o ther as both the genders talk through their own cultural experience (LURIA, p.180, 2006). Tannen states that women use language in a way to create further connections and one the other hand males use language to exhibit their knowledge and abilities and to exhibit