Writing about a topical language issue Language and Gender - Thursday 4th February 2021

Writing about a topical language
             issue
     Language and Gender
         Thursday 4th February 2021

Learning purposes
 • To recap language and gender theories/concepts
 • To consider real world examples in relation to Language and Gender
 • To interpret the views and opinions of a gender linguist

Recap to previous learning                   Future learning
Ø On the coming slides….                     Ø Exploration into topical language issues
                                               (gender/power/technology)
                                             Ø Developing ability to write effectively,
                                               taking into consideration the audience
                                               and genre.

Starter – Recap
1.  The terms Mr and Mrs are an example of lexical ________?
2.  What is ‘male nurse’ an example of?
3.  Write three words that could still show gender bias?
4.  Which noun did The Washington Post article say could be used
    differently to other gender marked terms?
5. Which suffixes can be use to mark terms?
6. Which literary figures used gender marked terms?
7. Define amelioration
8. Define pejoration
9. Name two words that have undergone pejoration.
10. Which language has adopted a gender neutral pronoun?

Recap – Is the English language sexist?
Watch the video and add to your notes from last week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uaBwAe2BhY

Research
Name as many of the colours as possible.

Lakoff (1975)
“It is a widely held belief that women have larger colour vocabularies
than do men. For example, Robin Lakoff (1975) states this as a fact and
suggests as an explanation the observation that in this society women
spend much more of their time on colour-related activities such as
choosing clothes than men do”

The Deficit Model – Why might we be
sceptical about Lakoff’s concept?
Social status
Do we think that speech is more important to women than men – speech can be taken as an
indicator of social class, so women make more effort to conform to standard usage in an effort to
demonstrate their respectability.

Society’s expectations of women
Society expects ‘better’ behaviour from women than men. ,This begins in childhood when boys’
misbehaviour is tolerated more than girls’

Lakoff states that ‘If a little girl ‘talks rough’ like a boy, she will be ostracised, scolded or made fun
of’.

Society also expects women to play the dominant role in child rearing, and this includes providing
children with models of ‘correct’ speech for them to imitate.

Read the article: Researchers have found a major problem with
‘The Little Mermaid’ and other Disney movies – The
Washington Post
Make notes in response to the following questions:

1. In which Disney films do women speak as much as, or more than
   the men? What are the ratios/percentages?
2. Write down the three films (that you will be most likely to
   remember) where men speak more than women.
3. For what reasons do the newer films have more male speech?
4. What is the trend regarding compliments received in Disney films
   over time?
5. How can we link this research to Language and Gender?

Gender in the Music Industry
Do you think Hip-Hop / Rap is misogynistic?

Analyse the lines below:

Robin Thicke: “I know you want it, you’re a good girl”
Jay Z: “I got 99 problems and a bitch ain't one”
Kanye West: “Now I ain’t sayin’ she’s a gold digger”
Chris Brown: “these hoes ain’t loyal”

Gender in the Music Industry
• You will be given a selection of lyrics. Your job is to analyse them and
  comment on how they display gender asymmetry.

• Try to link your ideas to theory.

• We will then discuss the findings.

"Loyal"
(feat. Lil Wayne, Tyga)
[Verse 1 — Lil Wayne:]

I wasn't born last night
I know these hoes ain't right
But you was blowing up her phone last night
But she ain't have her ringer nor her ring on last night, oh,
that's that nerve
Why give a bitch your heart
When she rather have a purse?
You know how the game goes
She be mine by half time.

I’m the shit, oh, that’s that nerve
You all about her, and she all about hers
Birdman Junior in this bitch, no flamingos
And I done did everything but trust these hoes.

“Blurred Lines”
(Robin Thicke)

Ok, now he was close
Tried to domesticate you
But you're an animal
Baby, it's in your nature
Just let me liberate you
You don't need no papers
That man is not your maker
And that's why I'm gon' take a
[Hook - Robin Thicke:]
Good girl
I know you want it
I know you want it
I know you want it
You're a good girl
Can't let it get past me
You're far from plastic
Talk about getting blasted.

“If I Were a Boy”
(Beyonce)

If I were a boy
I think I could understand
How it feels to love a girl
I swear I'd be a better man
I'd listen to her
Cause I know how it hurts
When you lose the one you wanted
Cause he's taken you for granted
And everything you had got destroyed
If I were a boy
I would turn off my phone
Tell everyone it's broken
So they'd think that I was sleepin' alone
I'd put myself first
And make the rules as I go
Cause I'd know that she'd be faithful
Waitin' for me to come home

Dear Future Husband (Meghan Trainor)

Dear future husband
Here's a few things
You'll need to know if you wanna be
My one and only all my life
Take me on a date
I deserve a break
And don't forget the flowers every anniversary
'Cause if you'll treat me right
I'll be the perfect wife
Buying groceries
Buy-buying what you need
You got that nine to five
But, baby, so do I
So don't be thinking I'll be home and baking apple pies
I never learned to cook
But I can write a hook
You gotta know how to treat me like a lady
Even when I'm acting crazy
Tell me everything's alright

Independent work
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000l8pf

Listen to the following Radio 4 programme. Make notes responding to
the six questions on the worksheet (Year 12 Words Used about Women
questions).

These notes should then be emailed to me - acouzens@ttsonline.net