Gendered Verbal Communication Chapter Summary

This blog entry will focus on chapter 5: Gendered Verbal Communication. Inside this chapter, Julia Woods’ talks about how verbal communication has influenced our understanding of gender and also how language influences society’s expectations for each gender. This chapter is interesting because it describes how concepts of gender and communication influence our daily lives. As it is clear, the quote above supports this notion. Before taking this course, I did not play close attention to how language influenced society at large, or my own personal views on gender. Many people, much like myself, often overlook the power language holds over society. Furthermore, Julia Woods points out several ways on how language molds our society’s views and values.

First, as a society we unconsciously use and have accepted male dominant language. This is an issue because male generic language excludes women; therefore women seem less valuable then men in our society. One instance where male generic language excludes women is when it comes to professions. Career titles, such as policeman, fireman, businessman, give off an impression that these professions are for men only. While we know this is not true, this male generic language can easily influence, someone such as a

It is commonplace to hear someone describe a women as “someone’s’ girlfriend” or she is taken by so and so than hear a man being described as a boyfriend. Also, In America, society pushes the belief upon women that they should change their last name once they marry. It is unusual for women to choose to fight for her husband to change their last name. In other countries, such as Brazil, women are not expected to drop their last name for their husbands’. Instead, women add their husbands’ name while keeping her families’ name. I believe that women should have the right to keep her family name because it is apart of her