student Materials

 

Observations and other exercises

readings and web sites
movies, music, videos
observation assignments
readings/materials

Readings and web sites

    • Click here to view the supplemental readings from each chapter

Movies, music, videos


To view each of the videos found below, you must be connected to an active Internet connection. In order to be seen correctly, some videos may ask you to install viewers. While the authors have not experienced any adverse effects from downloading these views, we encourage you to engage in proper Internet safety precautions before you choose to do so.

Chapter 2

Commentaries on the Shooting of Gabrielle Giffords:

Chapter 9

Archeological work continues to provide new perspectives on how life on our planet, earth.  Caral, a relatively recent “find” in Peru, sheds new light not only on when humans arrived in the Americas but raises fundamental issues about the relationship of population size and propensities of humans to dominance patterns and associated violence. (relates to ch 9)

Observation Assignments

These tasks ask you to pay attention to communication around you (what you do and say, what you see and hear others do and say) and identify a variety of specific language and communication behaviors “observed.” In doing these tasks, you will be “doing” by listening and recording, with the goal of becoming aware of repeating language patterns because intentional language change requires awareness of old patterns before new ones can become habits. One way to think of these exercises is that you are collecting data. The assignments will be turned in on a schedule and in a mode as assigned by your instructor. This exercise section also links to several other observation assignments from which your instructor may assign tasks. Each of the following observation assignments is linked to one of the chapters.

The assignments, in part B of each one, ask you to provide a rewrite for the language observed so that the person could communicate without repeating the negative patterns. Your instructor will indicate whether you do those rewrites with each assignment.

Chapter 1

  1. Bring an example in which the language evoked from the recipient a strong affective response as well as denoting a meaning different from that intended by the source.
  2. Provide rewrite of the language so that the intended meaning and that evoked in the recipient are closer together.

Chapter 2

  1. Bring an example of using a metaphor that cross references sex and violence.
  2. Provide a rewritten metaphor that removes the violence from the metaphor.

Alternatives:

1.

  1. Bring an example of using metaphor in a way that establishes a frame for the communicators’ perceptions of the situation.
  2. Provide rewrite or reframing of the metaphor in a way that could change the perceptions of the parties involved.

2.

  1. (Generative Metaphors) As noted in the chapter, English speakers regularly use a triad of generative metaphors for each other: war, sports and sex. Recall that a generative metaphor is an underlying metaphor that allows us to spin off a host of other metaphors which everyone easily understands, e.g., to make a hit in class, dress to kill, be a team player, or conquer a disease). Collect and classify the metaphors you hear during this week that relate: war as sports / sports as war / sex as war / war as sex / sex as sports / sports as sex.
  2. Provide a rewrite that disentangles sex from the violence related metaphors.

Chapter 3

(#1 as a good) Derivational thinking ranks the top of comparison pyramids as presumed absolute good. The usual metaphor is #1. We also obligatorily mark plural because singular is the unmarked form, i. e., the basic form, the root. The presumption not only is that singular is good, it is also the preferred. For example: monotheism ≠ polytheism, singular theories in academia, the search in physics for the unified force. Using #1 as a complement, as praise, or as speaking well of someone or something reflects (and reinforces) derivational thinking using ranking in this case via singularity. The task:

  1. Listen for and report examples of singular or being #1 as best.
  2. Rewrite and reflect on the comparative impact of the rephrased praise.

Alternatives:

1. The ranking referred to within the Derivational Thinking structure is specifically grammatical. It refers to the suffixes -er and -est, to the lexicalized better, best, worse, worst, and to the phrase makers more, most, less, least. These are the elements that make up what morphology texts refer to as inflectional ranking; they also call it comparative. We do not call it comparative because some languages, like the Jaqi, have a comparative that is one of similarity not ranking. These are the specific grammatical elements. Those who have read Ursula LeGuin’s novel, Always Coming Home, can note how she includes virtually none of these elements. Your task:

  1. Collect the ranking comparisons that directly related to people, of either the morphological (-er, -est) or the syntactic structures of English (more/less, most/least), that you make during the week. Carry a notepad with you for a full day (24hrs) and note how many times you rank within the period.
  2. Provide a non-hierarchical way of expressing yourself for three of these.

2.

  1. Go 24 hours without making a ranking comparative, that is, without using either the morphological (-er, -est) or the syntactic structures of English (more/less).
  2. Write a one page reflection on the experience, your success or lack of it.

3. This exercise follows reading Susan Kray’s article, “Never Cry Bull Moose: Of Mooses and Men, The Case of the Scheming Gene,” (from Women and Language Vol 13.1 (Fall 1990) 31-37), which shows derivational thinking in nature writing. Kray shows the English speakers’ pattern of presuming that the basic form of any living creature is that of the male. She also shows what can result if one takes a different perspective. The task is to find such a piece of science or popular writing that reflects the paradigm animal as a male, and rewrite its opening paragraphs to change the point of view to feminine (assuming the female as standard form).

4. Collect ranking comparisons, either the morphological (-er, -est) or the syntactic structures of English (more/less), that you make from as many fields as possible during the week, organizing your observations by domains. Do not include direct numerical rankings. Again,

  1. carry a notepad with you for a full day (24hrs) and note how many times you rank within the period, this time omitting the rankings of people.
  2. Provide a non-hierarchical way of expressing three of these ranking statements.

5. (Generics #1). The use of generic terms reflects derivational thinking in two ways. First, in the gendering of the singular referent (he rather than she) when a known individual is not the referent. This use reflects derivational thinking in that the default term, (i.e., the “standard” or paradigm example) is male or male-identified. Your task

  1. Note generic pronouns used in material you read or in conversation you hear. Pay attention to the context. Report on which pronouns are used in which contexts, and by whom (professors, friends and family, fellow students or from mediated sources such as radio, song lyrics, television ads or programs, web pages). Pay attention to cases in which the generic choice reflects a preference for singular over plural.
  2. Choose three uses you heard / read / saw and rewrite to eliminate the maleness of the referent.

6. (Generics #2). The use of generic terms reflects derivational thinking in two ways. In the second way it appears in the default conceptions for generic terms that are general labels for categories, e.g., ancestor, senator, surgeon, etc. This use reflects derivational thinking in that the default term, (i.e., the “standard” or paradigm example) is male or male-identified. Your task

  1. Note generic nouns used in material you read or in conversation you hear. Pay attention to the context. Report on which nouns are used in which contexts, and by whom (professors, friends and family, fellow students or from mediated sources such as radio, song lyrics, television ads or programs, web pages). Pay attention to cases in which the generic choice reflects a preference for singular over plural.
  2. Choose three uses you heard / read / saw and rewrite to eliminate the maleness of the referent.

Chapter 4

As this chapter has many parts, your instructor may ask you to bring an observation for each means of limiting agency; or to choose from among them. Be sure to clarify the task with your instructor.

  1. Bring an example of (1) simple denial; (2) pollution; (3) false categories; (4) isolation; (5) anomalousness.
  2. Provide a rewrite of the conversation in the example so that agency is not limited.

Chapter5

At this point, we need to be sure that you are clear about our ways of using the term, observation. As you have now read in chapter 5, we think it important for communicators to distinguish carefully between what they “observe” (see, read or hear) and what they infer on the basis of those observations. You have, in the “observations” tasks for chapters 1-4, not only reported what you heard, read or seen, but by doing analysis using the categories provided, you have reported inferences. For example, when a conversation involving a denial of agency is reported, you have “observed” the words (and perhaps nonverbals as well), AND you have inferred that agency was limited. In other words, your observation assignments have asked of you both to observe and to infer as you analyzed the results of the language use. We have said that this is a type of data gathering. We classify as we observe, and language guides the classifying process, often directing the “observing” in ways that ignore, fail to see or alter “things” for which we have no language. As you collect data, you use a given vocabulary to label what you observe. The labels, by their very nature, reify, that is create things, from that selection of reality. [One source to describe the process is Suzuki’s Words and Things.] In that way you infer, but you also create. Having a label makes it possible to cope with the observed phenomenon in a number of ways. It also creates the behaviour as a 'thing'.
The tasks here ask you to pay attention to how you are both observing and inferring.

For this chapter, the observation assignment is to

  1. Bring an example in which one or more inferences were confused with observations. This could include cases where value assessments were assigned to the observation (i.e., judgments were made).
  2. Provide a rewrite in which the communicators clarified the inference / observation confusion.

Chapter 6

English has no causative; therefore power over others is not fully grammaticalized at that level; however, it does make extensive use of vocabulary, of the complexities of the verb phrase, of the relative hierarchy of subject/object plus the passive voice, and of other syntactic devices. Within the English linguistic / cultural universe a large number of discourse patterns reflect intention to impose the will of one onto another. The basics in the verb phrase are make, get, have, e.g. “make her do it,” “get her to do it,” “have her do it.” You may find other terms as well. Many cultures do not like this at all, and for many cultures this is considered immoral as shown for example in Ursula LeGuin’s Always Coming Home. For this observation,

  1. Take note of: 1) your own use of power words -- words that would impose your will on another, without a specific request from the other person; 2) others use of power words toward yourself; 3) power words in general in the culture, e.g., in political language.
  2. Choose three of the incidents and rewrite what happened as though everyone involved believed that it was immoral/unethical to impose one’s will on another.

Alternative:

1. The verb phrase 'have to' is related to the notion that force is the solution. It links as well to the notion that nature is human derived, i.e. run by laws like society is, resulting in perceptual linking of 'bears have to hibernate' & 'people have to stop at a red light', etc. The task

  1. Observe uses of the verb *have to* and sort by categories.
  2. Provide a rewrite of the language for three instances so that you remove the implied requirement.

2. This assignment is built around the article, “Unpacking the Knapsack,” by Peggy McIntosh. Choose any 10 of the items and (1) substitute one of the following words for race: ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, class, physical ability; then (2) describe what would have to change, both in English and social structure for every member of our culture to be able to answer the question with a yes.

3. In the short story “Houston Houston do you Read” by James Tiptree Jr.; you can observe the contrastive language of the women and the men,

  1. identify the types of violence used by the men.
  2. Note the ways Tiptree constructs women’s language nonviolently.

** This observation can also be done using the short story “The Women Men Don't See” by James Tiptree Jr., noting especially misunderstandings on the part of the man, the actual voice of the story.**

Chapter 7

This chapter has several parts, so your instructor may ask you to bring an observation for each of the structures that recreate existing structures of privilege; or to choose from among them. Be sure to clarify the task with your instructor.

  1. Bring an example of (1) a not privileged person inappropriately in object position; (2) a not privileged person kept out of subject position; (3) a not privileged person in the subject slot inappropriately (i.e., only having done something negative—“the woman was raped”; “Eve seduced Adam.”
  2. Provide a rewrite to put the person appropriately in the subject position.

Alternatives:

1. (Syntactic ordering, phrase, clause and sentence, by sex) For this observation be sure you have read “Whey we should say women and men until it doesn't matter anymore.” Keep track of all the pairings you hear of women and men, e.g., girls and boys, dolls and guys, Jill and Jack, Eve and Adam, Gracie and Steve, etc.

  1. Keep a running tally on which referent comes first, being sure to observe your own behavior as well as others, both in informal contexts and official formal contexts. Include both noun pairings and phrase pairings, e.g., the bride will wear white, the groom will wear black; the women will eat in the green room, then men in the red room. You can also watch for larger texts, noticing the ordering, for example book tables of contents with a chapter on women or “minorities” following other more “gender-neutral” chapters.

Chapter 8

Because of the widespread use of ‘to be’ verbs, a simple observation makes little sense. The task of this assignment involves finding 150 words in a paragraph(s) in a magazine or scholarly journal and re-writing the material to eliminate any ‘to be’ verbs in the paragraph.

Alternatively, you may take a paper you have previously written for some class and do a rewrite. You should turn in a copy of the original material with your rewrite.

In either case make sure that you mark, by highlighting, writing in red or putting into boldface each occasion of  'to be' in the original and each change in your rewrite.

chapter 9

Different ways to talk, hear, read, write – Change task 1

Rewrite observations:  Doubtless the observation exercises have by now led you to new ways of hearing and, likely, of reading.  And, you may already have been assigned to work on new ways of talking and writing as you completed the observation exercises as your instructor asked you to create re-written versions of the cases you observed.  If you didn’t have that task earlier, now would be the time to return to some of the observations that you made and include a re-write section.  Each observation exercise included such an instruction in its part B, although you may only have been required to do part A.

Redefining work:  Change task 1 (Value Differently) Alternative Exercise

One different way to talk, hear, read and write involves defining what “is” work, an example of a feminine activity our culture devalues.  We identify below and give links to two useful readings dealing with the kinds of work considered to be “women’s work” and therefore either not included in the category of work at all (e.g., housewife) or considered of lower value (e.g., child care).
Do an observation exercise in which you record, for a specified period of time, the ways you hear or read people using the terms “working women,” “working mothers,” or “mothers.” As a comparison listen for uses of the term “working men,” “working fathers,” or fathers.  Ask yourself(ves) how the uses differ and what those differences might suggest for thinking about how we value female, male, feminine or masculine. Your instructor may ask you, either individually or in groups, to do either a written or oral report on your conclusions assessing whether and how “work” shows up as part of what mothers “do” or “are.”

Johnson, Fern, “Ideological Undercurrents in the Semantic Notion of 'Working Mothers.'” Women & Language, Vol 24. 2 (Fall 2001), 21-28.

Taylor, Anita, “Tales of the Grandmothers:  Women and Work.”  Vital Speeches of the Day, January 15, 2005, pp. 209-212.  Also in “Today’s Women” Great Speeches 6, DVD by Educational Video Group tape, 2006. 

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Learning to Value Female and the Feminine – Change task 2 (Value differently)

Observation Exercise, Ch 3, 1st Alternative, doing the re-write suggested in part B.  In addition, since you have now read Ch 8, add the task of reducing the ‘to be’ verbs in your re-write to as low a proportion as you can achieve.

Observation Exercise, Ch 3, Alternative 2. This observation exercise asked you to attempt living 24 hours without use of the comparative rank, which the English language virtually imposes.  To the extent you rank less often shows changes in valuing and communicating.  Accomplishing such goals will not be easy in a culture and language built on ranking.

Observation Exercise, Ch 3, Alternative 3.  This task asks not only that you read the article by Kray, but find an example of your own and provide a rewrite, showing what can happen if the writer does not conceive of the basic or standard form of something as male.  To achieve the goal of re-valuing feminine not just female, try your hand at creating a narrative that does more than just graft the masculine characteristics onto a female form.

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New Narratives and New Metaphors – Change task 3

As the foundation for this exercise, use the reading by Taylor and Hardman in the readings section for chapter 9, “War, Language and Gender, What New Can be Said? Framing the Issues.”   Your instructor may assign you to work in groups for this assignment.  The report may be an oral or written report, or both.

Consider your own field of study (your major, for example, or occupation).  Create at least one new narrative and one new metaphor that could be used to recast and reframe issues of gender as relevant for that area. 

Taylor, Anita; Hardman, M. J. “War, Language and Gender, What New Can be Said? Framing the Issues.”  Women & Language, Vol 27.2 (Fall 2004) pp 3-19.

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New Ways of Responding – Change task 4

Using I Messages (Also Relates to Ch 5)

Using I Messages can be useful in a number of ways.   As you’ve read the chapters and completed a number of the observations and exercises, you will find yourself often doing more than just recognizing the gendered messages buried within our supposedly nongendered English language.  You will want to call the gendered language to the attention of “less-enlightened” folks with whom you have relationships.  You probably want to induce change in those who continue to talk in ways you now see as discounting or degrading.

In some of these instances, change can be achieved and good relationships maintained simply by pointing out how a communicative partner has denied, polluted or devalued one’s agency or has expressed a power position and devalued those seen below her or him in some ranking hierarchy.  But at other times such comments or retorts lead to elevated emotional conversations or to negative responses, including name calling of you for objecting to how that person used language.

In these cases, it will be useful to use strategies based on the “I Message Formula” found within the processes of active listening.  What’s introduced below expands the I Message ideas introduced by Thomas Gordon in 1977 in Leadership Effectiveness Training (see pp. 101-113). 

Usually, we teach the I Message formula as a way to respond to what a person (or persons) in a relationship do, but we can apply it quite effectively to what people say, and how they say it.  Using language is a kind of action, after all, and as such language use fits within the formula.

The I Message formula requires that you talk descriptively, not inferentially, and that you report how you feel and do that before stating what you think about a conversational partner’s talk.  It also directs you to focus on the effects of that person’s talk, not on whatever you may think it says about the person’s character when she or he talks that way.

In extreme cases, instructors may introduce a sixth step of the formula.  But for most situations, that goes far beyond the level of introductory learning, which is the nature of  these chapters.

The formula for I Messages consists of prompt lines that are filled in by the individuals with whatever is the objected-to behavior.  After introducing the formula, we’ll follow with an example.

When you . . ., I feel . . ., because it affects me in that  . . ., and because I think it means . . .
[Later, after discussion of the foregoing] . . . and what I want is . . .

REQUIREMENTS in using the formula

When you  . . . [describe behavior objected to, avoid abstract or loaded language]

I feel  . . . [state how you feel on hearing the offending words, not an inference about them]

Because it affects me in  . . . [state an effect, not an opinion]

And because I think it means . . .  [NOW, inferences can be used]

[Then, usually later after some interaction]  . . .  And, what I want is  . . . [make specific requests, again no abstractions]
- - - - - -
Example:
Here’s an example involving use of language:  “When you tell ‘dumb blond’ jokes, I feel hurt, because I am blond, and I think it means you see me in that category of ‘ditzy female.’  I appreciate your sense of humor, but would like for you to use humor that doesn’t involve demeaning women.”
Here’s a variation I Message on the same kind of language use:  “When you keep telling ‘dumb blond’ jokes, I worry about our relationship.  I have previously told you the language upsets me because I am blond.  When you continue to talk that way, in spite of how I feel about it, I think that means you don’t care much about how I feel.”

Your instructor may suggest you use the I Message practice worksheet. [LINK]

[This model is also close to the Suzette Haden Elgin’s Three-Part-Message; see http://www.adrr.com/aa/overview.html ]

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Finding Models – Change task 5

            The Derivational Thinking built into our culture keeps us from even knowing about people and cultures that could serve as models for us.  The task here sends you to find a person you've never heard of that would have been a nice model for you.  Your instructor may identify two parts to this task, asking that you (1) identify a person in the past of U. S. or Europe; and (2) identify a person or group with a different cultural heritage.  Then, prepare a page or two introduction to use to introduce the person and group to someone younger than yourself—an elementary school or high school class, for example.
This assignment serves as an awareness tool, as you will become aware of the gap in your knowledge of western culture; and it will give you ways to find models for changing your own behavior.  After all, we can’t talk knowledgeably about what we don’t know.

Remember, the task is to identify someone and group of which you never heard . . . not just to learn more about persons or groups you might have heard of but know little about.  The latter is a different task.
Many places are available as sources of information to do this assignment.  Some books you might consult include Marion Tinling’s Women into the Unknown: A Sourcebook on Women Explorers and Travelers; Annie Laurie Gaylor’s Women without Superstitions; Mothers of Invention by Ethelie Ann Vare and Greg Ptacek; or Women Astronomers: Reaching for the Stars (Discovering Women in Science) by Mabel Armstrong.

Some excellent web sites can also be used.   We recommend either http://www.astr.ua.edu/4000WS/ or http://chnm.gmu.edu/wwh/index.php.  The first of these is a project by two women at the U. of Alabama Tuscaloosa* (see below) and focuses on women in science; the other, the website of the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University, explores quite broadly through its sections on primary sources, case studies and analyzing evidence.

*The art and structure at the website, http://www.astr.ua.edu/4000WS/ was done by Dr. Deborah Crocker, at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Alabama. Dr. Sethanne Howard created the concept of this document, which can be found in a somewhat more narrative form in her book, The Hidden Giants.  Dr. Howard retired as Chief of the Nautical Almanac Office at the US Naval Observatory.

Change Task 5.A

Un cover the past

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Identifying Specific Changes – Making a plan

Overall, these readings and exercises describe many ways gender influences our lives even when we don’t notice the patterns.  These influences deeply involve language and communication--with influence flowing both ways (i.e., gender patterns influence language and communication even as language and communication influence gender patterns).  This task asks you to look carefully and analytically at your own day-to-day communication.  Identify at least five patterns that you see recurring regularly that have gendered impact you now see and do not like.  Write a realistic plan that you can use to begin implementing new patterns. Following the advice of Ch 9, begin with small steps, things YOU can and will do.  State goals you think you can, realistically, achieve.  If it helps, you may want to add timelines.  Your instructor may ask that this exercise be reported during a class discussion or in a written paper.

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Reading/Materials

Below you will find links to supplementary readings and materials.

Chapter 1

  1. Bing, Janet. Penguins can't fly and women don't count: Language and thought. Women and Language. Vol. 15 (Fall 1992), 2; pg. 11-14.
  2. Suzuki, Takao. Things and Words. In Takao Suzuki (Mura, Akira, trans.)  Words in Context:  A Japanese Perspective on Language and Culture.  Tokyo:  Kodansha International:  2001.  Pp. 30-54.

Chapter 2

  1. Nestvold, Ruth. Looking Through Lace. Asimov’s Science Fiction, September 2003:  16-52. Pdf copy here or Go to Nestvold’s web site for readable freeware copy.
  2. Hardman, M.J. Metaphor Continued (PowerPoint 97-2003 Slide Show), March 29, 2006

Chapter 3

  1. Hardman, M.J. "Gender through the levels."  Women and Language.  16.n2 (Fall 1993): 42(8). 
  2. Hardman, M. J. “The Sexist Circuits of English.” The Humanist. March/April 1996: 25-32.
  3. Kray, S. (1990). Never Cry Bull Moose: The Case of the Scheming Gene." Women and Language 13.1, (Spring 1990): 31-7.
  4. LeGuin, Ursula. K. “Introducing Myself.” In The Phoenix audiorecording by LodeStone Media, October 1995, reprinted in The Wave in the Mind, 2004, pp 3-7.
  5. Linfoot-Ham, K. Language & Violence, Unpublished paper, University of Florida, March 18, 2006

Chapter 4

  1. Hardman, M. J. “Data Source and Grammatical Person in the Jaqi Languages.”  Diálogo Andino, a Journal of the Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica Chile. 1988-89 No. 7/8.
  2. Russ, J., "This is Your Life."  from fanzine Khatru, ca. 1978.
  3. Taylor, Anita and Linda A. M. Perry.  “Paradoxes:  No Simple Matter.”  Women and Language  24.2 (Fall 2001): 1-6.

Chapter 6

  1. Hardman, M.J. White Woman's Burden Free Mind, Sept-Oct 1989. 2-3.

Chapter 7

  1. Hardman, M.J. (1999, Spring). Why We Should Say "Women & Men" Until it Doesn't Matter Any More." Women and Language Journal, 22.1 (Spring 1999): 1-2.

Chapter 8

  1. Csonka, L., Gutierrez, C., Huang, C., Jimenez, M., Linfoot-Ham, K. The Gender-Based Hierarchy Principle in U.S. English Compounded by the Tyranny of ‘is’ PowerPoint SlideShow, University of Florida, 2007. top

 
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