The growth of computer-mediated communication (CMC) has generated great interest among researchers. Although perspectives vary, the anonymity inherent in textual communication and the reduction of social markers are often described as the characteristics that distinguish CMC from other forms of communication. These arguments have resulted in unprecedented optimism regarding the potential of this technology to eliminate social inequalities and increase access to institutional power. While critics have provided substantial evidence to the contrary, especially in regards to gender inequalities, CMC continues to be promoted and accepted. / Critical responses on the issue of gender have concentrated on behavioral issues. As exemplified by the work of Herring, these issues include, among others, the use of adversarial rhetorical strategies, topical control, representation in electronic communities, and the phenomenon known as "flaming". / Surprisingly, no effort has been made to address the role of gender in the cognitive aspects of CMC or directly question the claims advanced by supporters of this technology in relation to the anonymity of electronic texts. With the exception of Herring's peripheral remarks on this issue and limited work on the problem of gender judgements by Savicki and his colleagues, research is non-existent. / Given the importance of this area for the information professions, this research explores the role of gender in the cognitive processes associated with identification and impression formation. More specifically, this research addresses two concerns. The first is whether CMC users can identify the gender of those they have never met face-to-face by relying exclusively on the detection of gender cues. The second centers on the role of gender in the evaluation of electronic communicators. / Against the perspectives outlined in the feminist critique of technology, this research's theoretical framework is derived from the work of Hymes as well as literature from cognate fields. Thus, Hymes' theoretical model on the concept of communicative competence, which allows competent speakers to pass judgement on the appropriateness of linguistic events, is central to the investigation. / The results provide convincing evidence regarding the implications of gender in the cognitive dimension of CMC. Data from 133 research participants (91 females and 42 males) associated with the study of librarianship or its professional practice suggest that CMC simply recreates existing gender asymmetries. Women are less likely to remain anonymous, more likely to be described stereotypically, and more likely to be evaluated negatively.

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the language development rate of male and female children, 24 to 30 months of age, during a three month time period.

A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Art by Research in Linguistics / Wits Pride is an initiative spearheaded by the Transformation and Gender Equity Office, at the University of the Witwatersrand. Beginning in 2010, the event has been held annually and has grown from a week-long event to a two-week long event which focuses on “creating a non-heterosexist, non-cissexist, non-homophobic and non-transphobic university environment”. Prior to 2010, it happened as part of the events of the campus LGBTQIA+ society Activate, and was not explicitly supported by the university as it is now, under the name “Wits Pride”. With the university’s name attached to it, Wits Pride gained institutional support and that came with more visibility. Wits Pride was now able to advertise widely, producing posters for campus use, t-shirts to give freely to students, as well as issuing press releases to the general public. As a result, journalists came to campus to report on Wits Pride and these reports, along with the texts produced by the Wits Pride Office are the focus of this paper. The paper analyses newspaper articles, posters and t-shirts, with the aim of explicating the discursive strategies used by Wits Pride and external media to represent Wits Pride. These representations are analysed diachronically, to see if and how they have changed over time, by espousing a Queer Linguistic approach which uses Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis to analyse the various texts. Keywords: Wits Pride, MMCDA, Queer Linguistics, Sexuality, Space / GR2018

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published_or_final_version / English / Master / Master of Arts

This thesis explores gender and impoliteness in the multilingual and multicultural context of the University of Natal, South Africa. My study uses respondents' perceptions of impoliteness to investigate how male and female students of different African cultures and language backgrounds construct and reconstruct their identities through their choices to use the languages available at the University of Natal. The study was motivated by a perceived dearth of research into gender-sensitive accounts of multilingual situations. The goal of this study is to contribute to the understanding of the invention of identities in a multilingual, multicultural and multiracial environment, while interrogating the relationship between impoliteness, whether perceived or intended, and the gendered identities available to the different African subgroups at the university. Hence the thesis reviews recent theoretical approaches to intercultural communication, impoliteness and gender, and attempts to identify a suitable framework for the understanding of gendered aspects of multilingualism in the university. A combination of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies was adopted for the study. I used several modes of data collection which included indirect observation carried out through the reporting of perceived impoliteness, questionnaire surveys for evaluations of instances of impoliteness and focus group discussions with different categories of students. Discourse analysis was drawn on for the presentation of the data. The body of data reveals that while there are some general perceptions of impoliteness amongst the students that transcend culture and language diversity, differences in the perceptions of and responses to impoliteness impact greatly on the ability of individuals to communicate effectively. The study shows that the different groups identified in the study: Zulu bradas, dilute males, Model C guys, diverse males, modern Zulu women and decisive females, whilst they are attending university, decide on and construct their identities according to their preferences. This is not necessarily a matter of their original cultural identity, especially in the case of the modern Zulu women, decisive females and Model C guys. A range of different identities from which the individual may choose is made possible at the university, given that the university has its own, non-ethnic culture. The preferred identity varies amongst the students: for instance, the Zulu bradas' desire to be seen as 'traditional' pushes them to construct a 'traditional' - as they see it - Zulu identity. The decisive females in contrast are far less culture-conscious and construct an identity that is related to their personal needs. Consequently, some respondents construct communal and others individual identities. The students' interpretations and judgements of impoliteness reveal that the preferred identities influence their evaluations of behaviour. Similarly, the gender of perceiver or speaker may influence the interpretation and assessment of the degree of impoliteness. A majority of the male respondents draw on gendered cultural expectations in their judgements, while the female respondents were more egalitarian in their approach. Identity in this study emerges as crucial for the understanding of impoliteness. The study further shows that whenever the individual's constructed identity is seen to be under attack, a student may respond with equal impoliteness to defend him/herself. While this research is specifically located in the context of the University of Natal, it is relevant to the South African workplace today, where linguistic and cultural diversity may enhance or impede racial integration and gender equality. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2007.

Current practice in language teaching based on communicative approaches emphasizes the development of language skills. Opportunities are created for students to develop their language skills through social interaction based on pair and group work. Such interaction requires the use of interpersonal skills. If students do not feel confident about their interpersonal skills, they may be reluctant to take part in communicative activities, which require social interaction. Interpersonal skills are also important if students are to use their language skills in real life situations effectively and confidently. Gender and cultural differences related to interpersonal communication may have an impact on how successful students learn a foreign language. The study explores student confidence in interpersonal skills, the role that gender may play in interpersonal relationships, and also in fostering cultural activities that are aimed at the development of interpersonal communication. Such relationships have potential implications on the teaching of a foreign language in the classroom situation. This research was conducted at a Japanese university where the researcher is a lecturer and had full access to all the resources he needed. The same research was also conducted at Chinese, Russian, and Ghanaian universities, as well as at an international school in Saudi Arabia. Data was collected using questionnaires. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods in order to gain an in-depth understanding of the problem, and to probe the issues involved more extensively. Quantitative data was collected by means of a questionnaire that consisted of multiple-choice questions. Qualitative data was gathered by means of open-ended questions. Questionnaire results were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The research findings indicate that some students may lack confidence in social situations where the use of interpersonal skills is neglected. This research also found that females may be more comfortable and adept in interpersonal exchanges owing to some biological and cultural reasons. Findings also indicate that cultural differences that impact on interpersonal communication situations did not entirely support the findings from the literature review, particularly concerning the use of nonverbal communication by Japanese students. Recommendations based on research findings, are given concerning the development of interpersonal skills. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics and Curriculum Studies)

Following recently increased interest in research on gender, the thesis seeks to supplement current research by investigating language and gender. Specifically, it explores the influence of gender on the use of vague expressions within the formal context of departmental meetings. Respondents' TM perceptions of vague language use in the form of responses to a questionnaire were also collected and analysed. The study revealed gender differences as regards vague language use. Women used more vague expressions than their male colleagues. Males and females displayed preferences for certain vague expressions an indication of gender construction. For instance, the men used more vague additives, whereas the females made use of more hedges in their utterances. An attempt is made to explain these preferences in terms of the difference and dominance theories. It was also found that the generally formal context of meetings operated informally within these academic contexts. The explanations for the informality found in academic meetings are related to the degree of distance in relationships, and the frequency of interaction among colleagues. Responses to the questionnaire revealed differences in vague language use as regards male and females on certain items. This revealed a probable indication of gender construction. For instance, whereas the males were more sensitive to context in terms of vague language use, the females were less sensitive to the contextual use of vague language. The difference in male and female sensitivity to context is explained within a constant and fixed female adherence to informality. Politeness, however, did not emerge as a prominent feature, as neither males nor females in this group considered politeness as a major function of vague language use. While the investigation was held within the context of academic meetings, these gender attributes, preferences and or differences may be operating in other contexts. The research therefore serves as a point of departure for further studies on gender and vague language use. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M.A. (Sociolinguistics)

By conducting case studies in which representative works of Chinese and English feminist writing, together with their translations, are carefully analyzed, the third and fourth chapters examine the trajectory of the female power's traveling from the source text to the target text. The C-E section discusses a novel (written by the Chinese feminist writer Hong Ying) and its English translations by Howard Goldblatt (complete translation) and Mu Lei (partial translation); the E-C section deals with the independent story extracted from Doris Lessing's The Golden Notebook and its three Chinese versions by one female and two male translators respectively. In both sections, the writers' feminist thoughts that embrace female power are specifically analyzed. In the study, it is found that male and female translations differ from each other, thus offering quite different pictures of the female power expressed by feminist writers and altering the reading experience. / The current thesis, standing astride Translation and Gender Studies, has taken an interdisciplinary perspective to study the translations of contemporary feminist fiction. It is hoped that this study can offer some insights into the intersection between language and gender issues in translation and contribute to the development of the research domain of gender and translation. / The fifth chapter elaborates on how the translators' interpretation and translation might affect in the target text the feminist writers' expression of power, and discusses the translator's gender as an important variable that might affect the translation of feminist literary writings. In the last chapter, conclusions about and reflections on the current study are presented, followed by some suggestions for future research. / The thesis is divided into six chapters. The first chapter introduces the research background and reviews previous studies examining translation using gender perspectives. The second chapter offers a theoretical framework for the current study. Taking Foucault's theory of power/discourse as a starting point, it demonstrates the relationship between power and discourse (feminist writing and translations), and argues 1) that feminist writing proclaims female power; 2) that translation can, on the one hand, transmit and strengthen that power and, on the other hand, weaken that power by toning down the feminist consciousness inherent in the original text; and 3) that translation is actually an 'intermediary station' where power is negotiated and discourse (re)constructed. / This thesis looks, from a gender perspective, into the translation of contemporary feminist fiction from Chinese to English and vice versa. In the thesis, the relationship among three interrelated domains, namely, gender, translation and power, is carefully examined. The role played by male as opposed to female translators in translating contemporary feminist fiction is further discussed by conducting case studies to investigate multiple translations of two pieces of feminist writing. / 劉劍雯. / Advisers: Wong Kwok Pun; Tung Yuan Fang. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 73-01, Section: A, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 217-238). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / Liu Jianwen.

Following recently increased interest in research on gender, the thesis seeks to supplement current research by investigating language and gender. Specifically, it explores the influence of gender on the use of vague expressions within the formal context of departmental meetings. Respondents' TM perceptions of vague language use in the form of responses to a questionnaire were also collected and analysed. The study revealed gender differences as regards vague language use. Women used more vague expressions than their male colleagues. Males and females displayed preferences for certain vague expressions an indication of gender construction. For instance, the men used more vague additives, whereas the females made use of more hedges in their utterances. An attempt is made to explain these preferences in terms of the difference and dominance theories. It was also found that the generally formal context of meetings operated informally within these academic contexts. The explanations for the informality found in academic meetings are related to the degree of distance in relationships, and the frequency of interaction among colleagues. Responses to the questionnaire revealed differences in vague language use as regards male and females on certain items. This revealed a probable indication of gender construction. For instance, whereas the males were more sensitive to context in terms of vague language use, the females were less sensitive to the contextual use of vague language. The difference in male and female sensitivity to context is explained within a constant and fixed female adherence to informality. Politeness, however, did not emerge as a prominent feature, as neither males nor females in this group considered politeness as a major function of vague language use. While the investigation was held within the context of academic meetings, these gender attributes, preferences and or differences may be operating in other contexts. The research therefore serves as a point of departure for further studies on gender and vague language use. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M.A. (Sociolinguistics)