Politeness and Gender

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the connection between gender and linguistic politeness. The paper quotes many research studies on the topic and presents the various conclusions drawn. The paper contends that the extensive body of research reveals one consistent finding that women use more polite language than men.

From the Paper:

"Gender and its connection with linguistic behavior has been a major subject of debate and discussion in research circles for last many decades. How men and women differ in the speech is an interesting topic that has been shown to have direct correlation with societal influences and conditioning. Women are conditioned to behave in a submissive manner and research indicates that it is because of this factor than biological construction that is responsible for women being more polite than men. A large body of research on the subject reveals that women generally use more polite language than men because they are expected to behave in a submissive, timid and less aggressive manner. Pierre Bourdieu (1977, p. 662) argued, "Politeness contains a politics, a practical and immediate recognition of social classifications and hierarchies.""

More papers on Politeness and Gender:

• Term Paper # 25701 : "Social Class and Gender in Political Analysis"
• Analytical Essay # 135252 : "Biological "Truth" of Sexuality and Gender"
• Persuasive Essay # 127021 : "Marilyn Frye and Gender Theory"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: