Date of Award
Spring 2008
Document Type
Dissertation - Restricted
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Educational Policy and Leadership
First Advisor
Lowe, Robert
Second Advisor
Schweizer, Heidi
Third Advisor
Pink, William T.
Abstract
Early research on the language differences of men and women positioned men and women's language as dichotomous, identifying specific linguistic features as characteristic of male or female language. Men interrupt more (West & Zimmerman, 1983). Women apologize more (Holmes, 1995). Men use more hostile verbs (Hoyt & Summers, 1970). Women use more positive emotive adjectives such as divine and gorgeous (Kramer, 1974). Men use challenges (Maltz & Borker, 1998). Women pay and receive more compliments (Holmes, 1995). Men use more interjections (Eakins & Eakins, 1978). Women use more conjunctions (Eakins & Eakins, 1978). Men use more expletives and obscenities (Baily & Timm, 1976; Frank, 1978). Women use more tag questions (Fishman, 1983). Women use more words that indicate feeling or emotion (Gieser, Gottschalk, & Watkins, 1959). Men use more words implying time, space and quantity (Gieser, Gottschalk, & Watkins, 1959). Women use more hedges and intensifiers (Lakoff, 1975). Men use language to assert themselves (Maltz & Borker, 1998). Women use talk to develop and maintain relationships (Holmes, 1995)...