Study 2 Question 1:
Is language gendered?
Question one was addressed directly by interview
questions 2 and 3 and informed by questions 4-14. Every participant
in some way believed gendered language exists. Five of the participants
straight out said they believed there is gendered language. Alicia said
feminine language is "more sensitive
sounding." Sam suggested that there are things a girl would say
and then said "when we think of masculine
we think of more aggressive." Luglar separated masculine and
feminine language; she suggested "masculine is more mean,
loud" they "say it as it is"
and "don't care what people think,"
whereas "girls are shy" and "say
things in a nice way." Rick thinks that there are "something
girls would say that guys just wouldn't." He contends that vulgar
words are used by guys and that women more sensitive. Veronica defined
female language more cutesy, sweet, and sugar-coated.
Male language she defined as hard-line and
something that gets to point. Neutral language she saw as a combination
of both or neither.
Three participants believed in gendered language "to
a point" (Sarah). These three had various reasons for believing
it existed, but saw the lines between the feminine and masculine language
dissolving. Renée and Sarah
expressed the feelings that women now say more masculine things than
they might have said in the past. Zach pointed out that there are males
and females that speak in non-stereotypical ways, such as toboys
and "romantic" males. Renée suggested that there
were subject differences between males and
females, but that there were many subjects that were neutral.
Participants | Procedure | Analysis and Results: Question 1, Question 2, Question 3, Question 4 | Discussion