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Abstract

Research on gender and language is often inhibited by the fact that many writers/researchers lack either linguistic training or insights into modern theories of gender. In my article, I criticize some of the research on gender and language for being a gender conservative practice in itself, designed to preserve rather than challenge the patriarchal power structure of society, due to its focus on "feminine and masculine language styles". Instead, we ought to let modern feminist theories of gender guide what questions to ask and how to understand the results of the analysis of spöken interaction. This means focusing on structures of power instead of "feminine" and "masculine" language, and by this develop an analysis which we can call a feminist conversational analysis. Judith Butler's concept of performativity enables us to view sex/gender as a process or activity rather than a personal attribute. By using language in a sex-specific way we become women and men rather than express some inborn difference. This does not mean that we are free to perform the gender of our own choice, since we all are attributed one, and only one of the two genders, normally at birth. We are not free to choose the way to perform that gender either, since the characteristics of each gender is regulated through the heterosexual matrix. This explains why the linguistic analysis of language and gender cannot produce easy answers and advice on "how to talk like a man to get power" or the like. Since each individual depends on structures of ideology, the project of creating a gender neutral or non-oppressive language is part of the political project of feminist struggle and not anything the single individual can achieve by changing the way she talks.