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Title:
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Gender, Language and Occupational Roles: Exploring men's use of language within the female dominated environment of nursing
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Author:
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Joanne McDowell
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Email:
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click here to access email
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Degree Awarded:
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University of Ulster
, Social Sciences
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Degree Date:
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2009
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Linguistic Subfield(s):
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Sociolinguistics
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Director(s):
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Dr Catrin Rhys
Prof John Wilson
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Abstract:
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Research has often centred on gender related patterns of discourse use,
dividing men and women's speech styles into two separate, homogenous
groups. Developments in language and gender studies have begun to argue
against existing stereotypes of gendered linguistic behaviour, as
linguistic behaviour is influenced by various factors, including a
speaker's surrounding context. The workplace and occupational discourse of
women and men is one area that has received attention. Researchers have
mainly investigated women's linguistic experiences in male dominated
occupations; few have examined how men behave linguistically when they are
the minority gender in their workplace. This study addresses the notion of
'stereotyped speech' and the effect of communicative context by analysing
the spontaneous speech of male nurses while at work. Through an
explanatory case study, we provide a distinctive context for the
examination of features typically associated with a particular gender. A
qualitative analysis of the data indicates that the male nurses' linguistic
behaviour does not differ, regardless of audience gender, status or
conversational topic, from what is classed as preferential female
linguistic speech. The fact that men are using such language in this
context challenges the applicability of gendered speech stereotypes.
Exploration into these findings reveals that the Community of Practice
approach (CofP) can best explain the men's linguistic behaviour. Their
linguistic repertoire fulfills discourse tasks essential to their
profession, (dealing with vulnerable patients, being non assertive, forming
a positive and collaborative relationship with other nurses), and could
therefore be a result of the nursing CofP and the work roles nurses perform.
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Page Updated: 28-Nov-2009
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