Language and Gender // Theorists 

https://quizlet.com/9012037/language-and-gender-theorists-flash-cards/

Dominance - Sees women as the oppressed group in society, which they interprets differences in women's and men's speech. 

Difference - sees women as belonging to 'different sub-cultures', who are differently socialised from childhood onward, therefore may have different problems in communication as adults. 

Deficit - the idea that women speak politically incorrect (marked forms) and men correctly (unmarked forms) . 

Robin Lakoff (1975) - Women's 'Politeness Features' (e.g Tag questions, Hyper-correct pronunciation and grammar) She argued that these features of speech make women seem more inferior, weak and prevents women's speech from being taken seriously. However her worked can be critiqued for being outdated as equality between the sexes has improved since 1975. 

Zimmerman and West (1975) - there study showed that the men made the majority of interruptions and overlaps in conversation, supporting the idea that men are more dominant than women and they tend to believe they are the superior gender. 

Deborah Tannen (1990) - suggests that men are more aware of status; interrupt more, give more direct orders, don't mind conflict. In contrast to females who are more interested in bonds - tend to talk  less and agree more; polite indirect orders (e.g 'i'm really thirsty' with the real meaning of 'Can i have a drink please') Men are competitive and women are co-operative.  She expresses her idea of the 'Six contrasts to differences' , including things such as 'Status Vs Support' (men use language to show power and dominance, whereas women are likely to support and agree') and 'Independency Vs Intimacy' (men use language to show they don't need to rely on others, contrasting to women that connect with one another).

Pamela Fishman (1983) - she suggests that women use tag questions (supporting Lakoff's work), BUT she says they are used to set the agenda and create a conversation rather than to be polite.

Jennifer Coates (1993) - She suggests that all female talk is co-operative, based on negotiation and support. She quotes the dominance approach 'sees women as an oppressed group, and interrupts differences in women's and men's speech in terms of dominance and women's subordination'. This stems from the idea we live in a patriarchal Western society that sees women as the subservient group that are over powered by men ( links to Zimmerman and West's idea).