DISCOURSE STUDIES

Module 3

Cris Martnez
2009


In this Module, we will be discussing
topics that affect our everyday lives, our
personal beliefs and convictions the aim
is not to offend or bother anyone, but
rather to engage in a most fruitful dialog
so as to take into account those very
topics we usually overlook as
teachersbut that, on the other hand,
build the enriching differences we have as
subjects.

GENDER
As many other instances of discourse, gender
has been built following current interests in
society(cf. Ecology).
Gender is a concept that has widened its
semantic scope. This is not new since it has
traditionally been used to refer to something
beyond the biological division between
male/female. That is why, it is used in grammar
to describe not only this uncertain notion of
feminine or masculine, but also the notion of
animate/inanimate.
We will then define gender as a socio-
cultural identity that is built and developed
according to a variety of variables that are
particular to every person. Like many
other concepts, it raises once again the
anthropological discussion over the
nature/nurture issue: are we simply born
or do we become?
Gender: a polysemic concept
Gender thus refers to
- Grammatical gender (he/she/it)
- civic gender(the one in your ID, in forms, in
legal matters)
- Gender considered from the socio-cultural
perspective, an identity under construction,
includes not only the classical hetero options,
but several intermediate ones (Gay, Lesbian,
Transexual, Bisexual, among others).
Since our interest is discourse and how
social relations are created and sustained
via text-talk, the last concept is the one
that will prove more productive.
We will be discussing a more classical
question:

How do men and womens styles differ?
What are the social and cultural
consequences of these differences?

Deborah Tannen suggests that the best
approach to this discussion is to consider
men and womens discursive styles as
different cultures. She says that, since we
assume that within a community we speak
the same language, we usually disregard
variations in style, which may bring about
not only a failure to communicate, but
also clear cases of discrimination that are
not always conscious.
We learn to speak like boys or
girls because we interact with our
peers when we are children and
because there are social roles our
elders expect us to assume
(stereotypes)

Girls Boys
- focus on rapport and
negotiation
- focus on social status
- do not show off - do not build equality; they
develop leadership; challenging
- face others faces - they display face threatening
attitudes, ritual fight
-we - I
- Downplay certainties (use of
questions)
-minimize doubt and apologies
- show concern for others;
downplay achievements
- talk about individual
achievements
- pay compliments easily - Refrain from complimenting
- resort to an indirect style - resort to a more direct style
Different styles are not only shown in the way we
use the language but also in body hexis:

And in the way we dress that speaks for
us, providing more information than we
would probably or willingly like to
communicate (Cf Marked in your
booklet)

SEXISM
Sexism refers to the negative attitudes
towards women expressed implicitly or
explicitly in language. Since most western
countries have always had these
chauvinistic views, our languages show
them even in their grammars. In Spanish,
for example, generic reference is usually
shown through masculine forms.
In English, gender is not marked
grammatically but the sexist views are
expressed in other ways...

The human being is a mammal who breastfeeds his young.

Compare:
He fought hard to defend his honor.
She fought hard to defend her honor.

Johns fast.
Marys fast.
And the pairs
Master / mistress
Bachelor /spinster
Wizard/ witch
Sir/ Madam
Star / starlet

In order to build a more inclusive
attitude,some proposals have been made
very recently.
Fireman vs firefighter
Salesman vs salesperson
Spokesman vs spokesperson
For more examples on sexism in texts,
you may have a look at my paper
More Than Words: Ideology and Gender
in ELT Textbooks (in your booklet) where
you will find samples taken from the
books you could be using in your
classrooms right now.
IDEOLOGY
Ideologies are the fundamental beliefs of
a group and its members. Ideologies arise
when people engage in conflicts
(US/THEM) related to issues that affect
their lives like life/death, religion, politics,
gender and the like. Ideologies are not
simply opinions but they imply some
commitment whether conscious or
unconscious to particular social practices.
Ideologies can be identified and described.
Ideologies rely on three pillars that allow for their
existence, circulation and reproduction
COGNITION: because they are beliefs,
thus they have a psychological basis.

SOCIETY: because they are necessarily
shared and circulate among people.

DISCOURSE: because they should be
inevitably expressed and learnt via
text/talk.
Ideologies materialize through
IDEOLOGICAL PROPOSITIONS that may
be implicit or explicit but are recognized
both by US and THEM (or the IN-
GROUP/OUT-GROUP)

Example:
Women are weaker than men
Aboriginal languages are primitive

Categories of the ideology schema

In order to identify or describe a given ideology, it is useful to pay
attention to these categories:

Membership criteria: Who does (not) belong?
Typical activities: What do we do?
Overall aims: What do we want? Why do we do
it?
Norms and values: What is good or bad for us?
Position: What are the relationships with others?
Resources: Who has access to our group
resources(material, symbolic, intellectual)?
Basically, the overall strategy of most
ideological discourse is a very general
one:

Say positive things about Us
Say negative things about Them


DISCOURSE STRUCTURES THROUGH
WHICH IDEOLOGY IS EXPRESSED

Topics (Difference, deviance,
transgression, threat)
Level of description. Degree of detail.
Implications and presuppositions.
Synonymy, paraphrase.
Contrast
Examples and illustrations
Disclaimers