LIN 4651 GENDER AND
LANGUAGE
FALL 2003
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Prof. B. Weitz |
weitzb@fiu.edu |
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DM 459 A |
Office Hrs: |
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305-348-3294 |
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Required
Texts Graddol, David and Joan Swann. Gender
Voices
Haskell, Molly. Holding My Own in No Man’s Land
Rapping, Elayne.
Media-tions Forays into the
Culture and
Gender Wars.
Tannen, Deborah. You Just Don’t Understand.
If a woman is swept off a ship into the water, the cry is `Man overboard!' If she is killed by a hit-and-run driver, the charge is `manslaughter.' If she is injured on the job, the coverage is `workmen's compensation.' But if she arrives at a threshold marked `Men Only,' she knows the admonition is not intended to bar animals or plants or inanimate objects. It is meant for her --- Alma Graham
The Sapir-Whorf
hypothesis of linguistics states that the limits of human thought are
determined by the nature and the structure of the language in which thought
occurs. One corollary, on which this course is based, is that the English
language's use of gender forces people to think in terms of male and female,
with its gender-specific third-person singular pronouns and its different titles,
in some cases, for males and females. While it is not necessarily bad to be
immediately aware of the sex of someone being discussed, the connotation of
male and female terms differ so greatly that the distinction not only implies
difference but inequality. Biases in language are important because they show
both the biases people hold and how they are communicated.
This course will explore an approach to gender and language use that emphasizes the grounding in social practice of both. We will examine some of the basic theoretical notions available for thinking about language and about gender in social as well as psychological terms, drawing out analytical tools not only from linguistics but also from recent theorizing about society and about gender. Not only gender and linguistic conventions but most beliefs, knowledge, values and desires, emerge in and are transformed by people collectively engaged in practices that constitute them as members of a common community of practice. Stereotypes and biases about the sexes, heterosexist privilege and homophobia, standard and vernacular norms (and other ethnic and class-based norms for speaking and doing),
readily available presuppositions and metaphors: communities of practice are the locus of the activities that produce, reproduce, and sometimes challenge or transform such socio cultural and psychological
phenomena.
Sexual difference, gender theorists tell us, is an opposition that profoundly influences our experience and perception of the world. It is necessarily related to the semantic/conceptual categories 'male' and 'female', whence to the grammatical categories 'masculine' and 'feminine' on which the gender systems of many language are based, though the nature of the relationship is still controversial. In fact, the nature of the relationship between language and the extralinguistic world in general, or between language and society, has been a subject of longstanding debate: some insist that language simply reflects the society and culture of its speakers--a view we will refer to as language as symptom; others see the relationship as being the other way around, i.e., language determines, shapes, or at least influences society and our perception of the extra-linguistic world--a view we will refer to as language-as-cause.
GRADING POLICIES
1. Regular
attendance in this class is MANDATORY.
This is not a “correspondence course”.
Since assignments may be given out on a daily basis and I will
inevitably make changes to the syllabus, it would behoove you to be present for
these announcements. If you do miss class, you
are responsible for making up any missed work and it is your responsibility to
find out what was done and/or assigned, submit any work promptly and be
prepared for the next class.
2. Please be on time and stay for the entire
class period. If you arrive late,
it is your
responsibility to talk to me after class to avoid being marked
absent.
Absenteeism as well as excessive tardiness will adversely affect
your grade.
3. Final grades will be determined by 1) out of class work 2) in class work
and 3) class attendance and informed class participation. Film Studies is
not a spectator sport but requires questioning, analysis, and testing of ideas.
Regular informed participation in the discussion and analysis is required to
successfully complete the course.
4. All out of class work must be typed or printed.
5. All in class work must be done in class. It cannot be made up (this includes
quizzes). Exams can be made up by prior
arrangement and with a valid excuse.
6. All assignments are due at the beginning of
class time. I have little sympathy for
people who come to class the day a paper is due asking for an extension. I know
that printers run out of ink, files get deleted from disks, and cars break
down, but please find a way to prevent or work around these errors. Starting an
assignment well in advance is a good start. The grade will be dropped one half
letter for each 24 hour period it is late after I collect the papers in class.
7. If you are having any type of problem or confusion
which is preventing you from completing your work, please come
talk to me about it.
8. Etiquette (or Pet Peeves)
Academic
Integrity:
Academic
honesty is expected of all students. Academic dishonesty of any kind will not be
tolerated. This includes cheating on quizzes or exams as well as
plagiarism. Plagiarism is a specific form of cheating defined as using as one's
own, without proper citation, words and/or ideas expressed by others in public
arenas such as (but not restricted to) print, electronic publications, and
scholarly lectures. It is your
responsibility to be knowledgeable about this topic. Please be aware that there
are numerous ways to detect plagiarism beyond the instructor actually
identifying the source of the plagiarism. Plagiarism wastes my time and
yours—if you are experiencing any kind of difficulty in completing an assignment, PLEASE see me as soon as possible. I will
consider instituting the policy on student academic dishonesty for any case of
plagiarism or cheating I discover. Evidence of cheating, plagiarism or
fabrication of sources will result in a failing grade for the course and
report to the appropriate University authorities.
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IN CLASS |
ASSIGNMENTS |
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AUG. 26 |
Introduction |
Read G&S pp 1-11 |
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28 |
Universals of Language |
Handouts |
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SEP 2 |
Human Language |
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4 |
Physiobiology of Gender |
Read G&S
Ch. 2 |
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11 |
The Voice |
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16 |
The Voice |
Read T
Preface, Ch 1; |
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18 |
Gender Identity |
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23 |
Different Perceptions of Reality |
Read T
pp43-47, 54-58, 79-80, 152-167,
180-1, 245-270 |
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25 |
Children and Gender |
Read Handouts |
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30 |
Children and Gender |
Study for Exam |
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OCT 2 |
Exam # 1 |
Read T Ch 2;G& |
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7 |
Assymetries |
Read T Ch
3; 6 |
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9 |
Women and Men in
Conversation |
T Ch 7 |
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14 |
Interruptions |
T Ch 4, 5 |
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16 |
Report vs
Rapport/Gossip |
G&S Ch 3 |
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21 |
Women’s Language/Men’s
Language |
G&S Ch 5 |
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23 |
Is Language Sexist? |
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28 |
Sexist Language and
Grammar |
Study for Exam |
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30 |
Exam #2 |
Read Rapping: “ |
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NOV 4 |
Discussion—film clips |
Read R “ |
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6 |
Discussion—film clips |
Read R “ |
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11 |
Discussion—film clips |
Read R “Contested Feminisms”/ Work on film
analysis |
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13 |
Discussion—film clips |
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18 |
Submit film analysis/Student Presentations |
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20 |
Student Presentations |
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25 |
Student Presentations |
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DEC 2 |
Student
Presentations |
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2 exams |
20% each |
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film analysis |
15% |
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Final Project |
25% |
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Class Participation |
20% |
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(including quizzes, discussion,
attendance, in-class work) |
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