Gender differences in English syntax

Mehr zum Buch

This volume explores the factors influencing women's and men's use of syntactic alternatives, offering the most comprehensive account of gender differences in syntax to date. By employing functional grammar, cognitive semantics, and pragmatics, it reveals that syntactic constructions sensitive to gender primarily encode epistemic meaning. The book examines the intricate relationship between gender and various internal and external determinants, reconciling seemingly contradictory findings from previous research. Key factors analyzed include semantic type, position, intonation, and pragmatic functions such as style, power, surreptitiousness, and group composition. It builds on Labov's principles of 'Vanguard of Change' and 'Linguistic Conformity of Women' by introducing an 'Epistemic Modality Principle,' which posits that women use epistemic downtoners more frequently than men, and a 'Turn-Allocation Principle,' indicating that women employ more completion signals in negotiating floor-apportionment. These principles are vital for understanding gender differences in language. This work is essential for those interested in language and gender, as well as the application of functionalism in analyzing language structure and use.