Gender Differences in Conveying Embarrassing Information: Examples in Turkish.

This study examined discourse strategies used by males and females to convey embarrassing information to interlocutors of unequal status and unspecified gender. Subjects were 80 native speakers of Turkish (28 males, 52 females), from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds and geographic areas. Data were derived from a written discourse completion test and a background questionnaire. Test responses were analyzed for semantic and syntactic formulas used and variation in sociolinguistic norms in relation to speaker's gender and social status relative to the other interlocutor. Results suggest it is not so much gender but relative status of the interlocutors that influences choice of semantic formula. Males and females showed similar sociolinguistic behavior in their social status groups rather than in their gender groups in carrying out a face-threatening speech act in Turkish, indicating social status to be a more influential factor than gender on language use in this act. Implications for communication and language instruction are examined, emphasizing that the interaction of sociolinguistic variables that may constrain social interaction should not be oversimplified. (Author/MSE) *****A************************************************************ * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. *********************************************************************** "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY at-co, Nna16,9,1 Gender Differences in Conveying Embarrassing Information. Examples from Turkish Seran Dogancay Aktuna & Sibel Kanu§li Bogazici University TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." Abstract This paper presents research on discourse strategies used by males and females in conveying embarrassing information to interlocutors of unequal status and of unspecified gender. It thus compares and contrasts linguistic behavior of men and women of different statuses in a face-threatening speech situation, using data collected from native speakers of Turkish. Data was collected via role plays in discourse completion tests and analyzed by uncovering the semantic and syntactic formulas Turkish males and females use in this speech act. Variation in sociolinguistic norms was investigated in relation to the gender of the speaker and the relative social status of the interlocutors. The relative weights of gender and social status, thus power, were compared as these social variables interrelated with interactional patterns. Results show that it is not so much the gender but the relative status of interlocutors that influence their choice of semantic formulas. Males and females display similar sociolinguistic behavior in their social status groups rather than in their gender groups in carrying out a facethreatening speech act in Turkish, indicating social status, thus power, to be a more influential social factor than gender on language use in this particular act. Results are discussed toward assisting communication and language teaching, by emphasizing that considerations of the interaction of sociolinguistic variables that might constrain social interaction should not be oversimplified, as we can achieve better language acquisition and greater mutual understanding only by recognizing the complexity inherent in language use.