Browsing by Author "Dixon, John Andrew"

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    Gender and communication : theoretical and empirical directions
    (1992) Dixon, John Andrew; Foster, Don
    This research project addresses a deceptively simple question: what might form the central struts, the foundations, of a useful theory of gender and communication? Two lines of evidence are submitted - a theoretical argument, derived from an analysis of research in the area, and a set of original data, derived from an experiment conducted in a South African context. THEORETICAL ARGUMENT The dissertation begins with an appraisal of current theoretical models. These can be divided into two broad categories: the 'dominance' perspective holds that gender differences in communication reflect wider status inequalities between men and women; the 'difference' perspective holds that such differences are the product of an intricate socialization process, whereby the sexes learn gender specific rules of speech. Neither position, it is contended, provides an adequate account of gender and language use.