Evaluate the idea that spoken interactions between men and women are characterised by
miscommunication.
The term ‘miscommunication’ can be defined as a particular person misinterpreting what
someone means. Therefore the idea that spoken interactions between men and women may
cause miscommunication implies that they have two distinctive ways of speaking that causes
miscommunication. The field of gender in linguistics is one which has had the collaboration
of hundreds of linguists to try and reach a justified conclusion as to gender really impacts
speech. Some linguists argue that it is the fact that women are seen as inferior to men that
causes differences in speech whereas some linguists argue that we choose a particular
vernacular to portray ourselves as a gender to fulfil gender roles.
Tannen argues that spoken interactions between men and women may be characterised by
miscommunication since she argues that men and women use language for different
reasons; men for report talk and women for rapport talk (to build relationships). For example,
she argues that women use more personal pronouns and adjectives in their speech whereas
men use more demonstrative pronouns, quantifying adjectives and nouns. She also argued
that both men and women interrupt and overlap one another but for different reasons. A man
might interrupt for power and status which may mean their interruption undermines another
speaker's ideas whereas women may overlap for alignment such as saying ‘yes’ to agree
with a point. Therefore in spoken interactions these diverse purposes lead to diverse uses of
language which could cause miscommunication. Tannen’s theory therefore relies on
polarisation; viewing men and women as completely different with different purposes which
leads to miscommunication. However, Cameron criticised Tannen’s theory by arguing that
her theory focuses on viewing each gender as homogenous groups but gender is not
dichotomous. She instead argues that sex is a matter of chromosomes which do not vary
with other variables whereas gender is a matter of social roles and identity which interact
with diversity. Therefore she would argue that the idea of spoken interactions between men
and women can be categorised by miscommunication is a myth because she believes that
everyone chooses what they mean when they use a term, language is a conscious choice
which is not affected by gender, hence miscommunication will not be caused due to gender.
Lakoff argues that women are viewed as a deficit to men in society by adopting a language
that makes them seem less confident. For example, she found that in communication
women used more hedges, fillers and tag questions whereas men used more direct
language, expletives and discussed taboo topics. Therefore differences in gender cause
miscommunication since their ways of speaking are completely distinctive. Holmes argues
that women use tag questions to encourage social rapport, as Tannen also suggests,
whereas most men don’t use them which means if a woman used one in a mixed-gender
conversation, miscommunication may occur. However, Lakoff’s theory was created in the
70s when there was still not complete gender equality so her ideas may have been marked
by this. Therefore, more recent findings from Saunston (2019) argue that we chose the
language specific to how we want to present ourselves. Judith Butler also supports this as
she believes we perform our gender through the language we chose to use. Therefore, men
and women can communicate without confusion in interactions since gender does not
influence language but our language influences gender. Miscommunication could be caused
by other factors such as class.
miscommunication.
The term ‘miscommunication’ can be defined as a particular person misinterpreting what
someone means. Therefore the idea that spoken interactions between men and women may
cause miscommunication implies that they have two distinctive ways of speaking that causes
miscommunication. The field of gender in linguistics is one which has had the collaboration
of hundreds of linguists to try and reach a justified conclusion as to gender really impacts
speech. Some linguists argue that it is the fact that women are seen as inferior to men that
causes differences in speech whereas some linguists argue that we choose a particular
vernacular to portray ourselves as a gender to fulfil gender roles.
Tannen argues that spoken interactions between men and women may be characterised by
miscommunication since she argues that men and women use language for different
reasons; men for report talk and women for rapport talk (to build relationships). For example,
she argues that women use more personal pronouns and adjectives in their speech whereas
men use more demonstrative pronouns, quantifying adjectives and nouns. She also argued
that both men and women interrupt and overlap one another but for different reasons. A man
might interrupt for power and status which may mean their interruption undermines another
speaker's ideas whereas women may overlap for alignment such as saying ‘yes’ to agree
with a point. Therefore in spoken interactions these diverse purposes lead to diverse uses of
language which could cause miscommunication. Tannen’s theory therefore relies on
polarisation; viewing men and women as completely different with different purposes which
leads to miscommunication. However, Cameron criticised Tannen’s theory by arguing that
her theory focuses on viewing each gender as homogenous groups but gender is not
dichotomous. She instead argues that sex is a matter of chromosomes which do not vary
with other variables whereas gender is a matter of social roles and identity which interact
with diversity. Therefore she would argue that the idea of spoken interactions between men
and women can be categorised by miscommunication is a myth because she believes that
everyone chooses what they mean when they use a term, language is a conscious choice
which is not affected by gender, hence miscommunication will not be caused due to gender.
Lakoff argues that women are viewed as a deficit to men in society by adopting a language
that makes them seem less confident. For example, she found that in communication
women used more hedges, fillers and tag questions whereas men used more direct
language, expletives and discussed taboo topics. Therefore differences in gender cause
miscommunication since their ways of speaking are completely distinctive. Holmes argues
that women use tag questions to encourage social rapport, as Tannen also suggests,
whereas most men don’t use them which means if a woman used one in a mixed-gender
conversation, miscommunication may occur. However, Lakoff’s theory was created in the
70s when there was still not complete gender equality so her ideas may have been marked
by this. Therefore, more recent findings from Saunston (2019) argue that we chose the
language specific to how we want to present ourselves. Judith Butler also supports this as
she believes we perform our gender through the language we chose to use. Therefore, men
and women can communicate without confusion in interactions since gender does not
influence language but our language influences gender. Miscommunication could be caused
by other factors such as class.
