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1
Reconceptualizing Gender in Language Use in Sex and the City
Advisors: Dr. Kai-ling Liu & Dr. Raung-fu Chung
Brad Yu-shiang Tung
National Cheng Kung University
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Outline
Introduction
Literature review
Methodology
Analyzing transcribed talk from Sex and the City
Conclusion
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1-Motivation Linguists have interpreted male-female
linguistic differences from a variety of perspectives. The deficit approach(Lakoff, 1975): women’s use of
particular linguistic strategies reflects their deficiency and subordinate status
The dominance approach (Spender, 1985): views women as oppressed language users and interprets male dominance through language as manifestations of a patriarchal social order
The difference approach (Tannen, 1990): women and men have distinct but equally valid communicative styles
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1-Motivation Gender dichotomy as a problem
Fuss (1989) questions the male-female divide.
Deconstruction of gender As Talbot (2001) puts it, “for contemporary
language and gender researchers the challenge is how to conceptualise gender without such polarization” (p. 145).
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1-Motivation By the late 1990s, the dichotomy of female and male
use of language would be incompatible with the feminism’s emancipatory aim. → reconceptualize ‘gender’
New York-based hit series Sex and the City, which portrays women-centerd discourses on sex and relationships
Sex and the City → a feminist perspective (Arthurs, 2003; Hawkins, 2003; Henry, 2004; Hermes, 2006; Isbister, 2008; Negra, 2004; Richards, 2003) how ‘gender’ is reified in contemporary feminism
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1-Research question
How is ‘gender’ conceptualized through the four heroines’ use of language in Sex and the City, a contemporary feminist vehicle?
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Literature Review The deficit framework: Women’s language
Language and gender studies in Sex and the City
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2-The deficit framework: Women’s language
Linguistic features (Lakoff, 1975) Women’s Language
Hedges I think, maybe, perhaps, you know, well, kinda
Tag questions The war in Vietnam is terrible, isn’t it?
Color terms beige, ecru, lavender
Empty adjectives Sweet, lovely, charming
Emphatic (speak in italics) Double emphasis to certain words
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2-Theses and papers concerning language and gender studies in Sex and the City
Gender stereotype Anderson et al. (2005)
• argue that Miranda and Samantha have more of a male orientation to language use, while Charlotte and Carrie female orientation given their uses of linguistic strategies which are more or less associated with male and female traits. (‘gender’ is not clear)
Rosita (2008)• Examines Lakoff’s (1975) linguistic features and concludes
that female characters use women’s linguistic features more often than the male characters in Sex and the City
Virdis (2008)• claims that the four characters become “more and more
stereotypically female characters” a detailed discursive-linguistic investigation to explore
‘gender’ in Sex and the City
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Narrative discourses Conversational discourses
Miranda Steve Men
Samantha Richard Class struggle
Charlotte Trey Singlehood
Carrie Big &
Aidan
Single versus the married
Foci Relationships Marriage
3-Methodology 3.2.1 data collection (from the episodes of Sex
and the City)
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3-Analysis Framework
3.2.1 narrative analysis Labov’s (1972) narrative structures
• Abstract (What is the story about?)• Orientation (background information on the who, where,
when)• Complicating action (Then what happened?)• Evaluation (narrator’s attitude)• Resolution (What finally happened)• Coda (a final comment)
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Abstract Orientation Complicating
Action
Evaluation Resolution Coda
Miranda • • • • • •
Samantha • • • • •
Charlotte • • • •
Carrie • • •
3.2.1 narrative analysis
3-Analysis Framework
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3-Analysis Framework 3.2.2 critical discourse analysis (Fairclough, 1995)
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3.2.2 Analytical procedure of CDA in Sex and the City
Discourse as social practice (Fairclough, 1995)
Descriptive stage:To find out linguistic strategies in texts
Interpretative stage:
To unpack presupposition underlying the
texts
Explanatory stage:To find out factors that might interact with ‘gender’
1 2 3
3-Analysis framework
Description Interpretation Explanation
Revealing index of ‘gender’
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Telling storiesTelling stories
Language use Speech styleLanguage use Speech style
MirandaMiranda
CharactersCharacters
4-Doing women through language use
Intensifier, hedge, question
Female language
SamanthaSamantha Taboo languagePlay the expert
Male competitive style
CharlotteCharlotte Emphatic stress Female language
CarrieCarrie Questions Female language
‘Gender’ is instable, or fluid.‘Gender’ is instable, or fluid.
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Hegemonic culture
Hedges Taboo
Gender diversity
Desire, class, age
Gender diversity
Desire, class, age
Explanation in terms of social reality
Cues and traces for interpretation
3. Sources of diversity need to be taken into account.
2. Language use as a way of struggling, challenging, renegotiating the hegemonic culture, and most importantly accomplishing ‘gender’.
Linguistic strategies
1. ‘Cooperative’ versus ‘competitive’
4-Deconstructing the male and female talk
‘Gender’ is variant
Gender diversity
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Characters Charlotte Carrie Miranda Samantha
Men 4.2.1 Description Question: I’m exhausted. Where is he?
Question: Did you ever think maybe we
are the white knights…rescue
ourselves?
Question: Why are fireman always so
fucking cute?
Fireman with a big hose
Interpretation Heterosexuality
Explanation Sexual Desire
Class 4.2.2 Description This guy is working class. H: yeah he can make you come.. make you
a cosmopolitan.
Hedge: He’s just happy being a
bartender.
Q: How is he in bed?
Interpretation Classism
Explanation Class
Singlehood
4.2.3Description Question: Who’s out all
night?
Taboo & Repetition & Latching: fuck them
Taboo: fuck them Q: Who’s forty?
Taboo: fuck them
Interpretation Discrimination against singlehood
Explanation Community of Practice
Discourse
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Characters Charlotte Carrie Miranda Samantha
Single versus married 4.2.4
Description Co-construction (Latching of turns): when you’re the only single…like you’re a=
=loser =leper
Play the expert: I’m telling you
married people are the enemy.
=whore
Hedge: you know married
people are threatened…
Interpretation Marriage is a journey every woman has to
go through
Explanation Age
Marriage 4.2.5
Description Mitigated directive: let’s just slow down
Q: Why do we even have to get married?
Why?
Q: Why did you ever say yes?
Q: How could you take her to
that DUMP?
Interpretation Marriage being based in romantic love
Because I love him. A man you love kneels
in the street, and offers you a ring. You say yes. That is what
you do.
Explanation Men-Women gender relations
Discourse
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RQ:How is ‘gender’ conceptualized through the four heroines’ use of language in Sex and the City, a contemporary feminist vehicle?
RQ:How is ‘gender’ conceptualized through the four heroines’ use of language in Sex and the City, a contemporary feminist vehicle?
4-Interim summary
1. The four stories ‘Gender’ is not so much fixed. (subversion)
2. Critical description and interpretation Language use not according to gender binary distinction, but according to personal style upon different discourses ‘Gender’ is NOT to repeat forever the appropriate linguistic behavior.
3. Critical explanation ‘Gender’ is diversified.
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age
class
Sexual desire
Competitive
Taboo language Play the expert
Collaborative
HedgeQuestionRepetition
Co-constructionLatching of turns
Collaborative
HedgeQuestionRepetition
Co-constructionLatching of turns
Figure. Gender diversity Figure. Gender diversity
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5-Conclusion
gender polarization to a model of gender diversity. Sources of diversity and variation instability and variability of gender Transgression, subversion and resistance
The case study of Sex and the City Conscious agents (linguistic resources) Gender is conceptualized as plural, instable, and
diversified.
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Thank you very much♪