E104: Languages & Gender (3 cr)
Instructor: J. Auger
MW 1:25-2:15P
CH 033
Section 0083

Students must enroll in one discussion section.

Description:
This course is about language and gender: how women and men use
language and how language reflects the status of women and men in
society.  Many people have specific ideas about the way women
speak: women are more polite than men and they speak better than
them, they talk and gossip more than men, they use expressions
like ³kind of² and seek approval for what they say by making their
statements sound like questions or by adding tag questions: itıs a
nice day, isnıt it?  In this course, we will ask ourselves whether
any of the stereotypes about womenıs language are true.  We will
try to determine how differently women and men really speak and
understand why this should be the case.  We will examine gender
differences in various cultures and seek to establish whether the
differences are genetic or social.  We will also examine claims
that English and many other languages are sexist and that they
deny women a level of recognition equal to menıs.  For example, is
the use of masculine pronouns (he, him, his) and words such as
mankind in passages that are supposed to refer to females and
males really gender-inclusive?  Is there any need to change
language and make it more gender-neutral?

The primary goal of this course is to engage students in a
critical examination of the various ways in which language and
gender interact so they become able to tell apart myth from
reality.  A second but very important goal is to teach students to
do research.  Consequently, students will be required to work in
small groups and conduct an empirical study on one aspect of
language and gender that interests them particularly.
Requirements for the course include (1) a diary in which students
record observations on language and gender and reflect on them,
(2) critical evaluations of popular and scientific articles, and
(3) a group research paper.  Regular attendance is required and
will be encouraged through pop quizzes.