Language and Woman's Place

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Physically, men and women are obviously different; that is, men have a larger head and longer vocal cords than women do. From this point, women are stereotyped as being weak, subordinate, and minority in society. Moreover, in Lakoff’s study Language and Woman’s Place, she claims it does not matter whether women talk the way they are supposed and expected to do or not.

“If they talk like a lady, they are ridiculed and thought that they are unable to think clearly and participate in a serious discussion. If they do not talk like a lady, they are also ridiculed and criticized as unfeminine.” (p.6)

Another point Lakoff claims that women lack power, seriousness, and confidence. This shows that women are hesitant, tentative, unassertive, and deficient; whereas, men are opposite. Therefore, men and women use language differently.

According to Janet Holmes (1995), women use language to establish and develop personal relationships. She states that most of them enjoy and consider talking as the way of keeping in touch, especially with friends and intimates. Women compliment and apologize more than men do. When they talk to somebody, their utterances show concern for the feelings of their interlocutor more often and clearly than men’s. Also, they use some devices (questions, phrases: you know) to encourage other people to talk (Holmes 1995, p.2).

Lakoff believes that women’s language, ma...

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