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Language (Gender and Language (Metaphorically speaking, men are from Mars,…
Language
The Power of Language
Language Shapes Values, Attitudes, and Beliefs
Status
Speakers of standard dialect are rated more higher than nonstandard speakers in a variety of ways: They are viewed as more competent and more self-confident, and the content of their messages is rated more favorably.
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Sexism and Racism
Gender equality is greater in countries such as Finland, where language is nongendered, than in regions where the predominant language attributes a gender to nearly every noun.
Naming
Names are more than just a simple means of identification: They shape the way others think of us, the way we view ourselves, and the way we act.
Language Reflects Values, Attitudes, and Beliefs
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Affiliation
Convergence---Accommodating one's speaking style to another person, usually a person who is desirable or has higher status.
Divergence---A linguistic strategy in which speakers emphasize differences between their communicative style and that of others to create distance.
Linguistic intergroup bias---The tendency to label people and behaviors in terms that reflect their in-group or out-group status.
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Power
Language is powerful when it is clear, assertive, and direct. It is often labeled powerless when it suggests that a speaker is uncertain, hesitant, intensely emotional, deferential, or nonassertive.
Troublesome Language
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Disruptive Language
Emotive Language---Language that conveys an attitude rather simply offering an objective description.
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Evasive Language
Euphemisms---A mild or indirect term or expression used in place of a more direct but less pleasant one.
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Gender and Language
Metaphorically speaking, men are from Mars, and women are from Venus. False.
Sexes aren't "opposite" or nearly as different as the Mars-Venus metaphor suggests. Gender is a continuum that concludes a nearly infinite array of identities.
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Where romance is concerned, it's complicated. Undeniable.
Young men were more likely than young women to post flirtatious comments and bold sexual invitations, and females were more likely to post friendly comments and ask about and share their feelings.
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Men don't show their feelings. Partly true, partly false.
Men often cope with difficult situations by using humor or distractions to avoid showing grief or sorrow. They do express feelings in private lives, but often by their actions.
Women's speech is typically powerless, and men's is more powerful. False.
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Men and women are hardwired to communicate differently. Partly true, but less than many people assume.
While men typically have more testosterone and women estrogen, these hormones are present in both men and women, and the presence varies by individual.
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The Nature of Language
Meanings Are in People, Not Words
Denotative meanings---Formally recognized definitions for words, as in those found in a dictionary.
Connotative meanings---Informal, implied interpretations for words and phrases that reflect the people, cultures, emotions, and situations involved.
+Ask a dozen people what the same symbol means, you are likely to get 12 different answers.
+Interpretations can be quite different.
+Matters can get even more confusing when you're not fluent in a language.
Language is Symbolic
Like virtually all language, are symbols---arbitrary constructions that represent a communicator's thoughts.
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Dialect---it is a version of the same language that includes substantially different words and meanings.
Language---it is a collection of symbols governed by rules and used to convey messages between individuals.