Using Corpora to Analyze Gender

Description

Corpus linguistics uses specialist software to identify linguistic patterns in large computerised collections of text - patterns which then must be interpreted and explained by human researchers. This book critically explores how corpus linguistics techniques can help analysis of language and gender by conducting a number of case studies on topics which include: directives in spoken conversations, changes in sexist and non-sexist language use over time, personal adverts, press representation of gay men, and the ways that boys and girls are constructed through language. The book thus covers both gendered usage (e.g. how do males and females use language differently, or not, from each other), and gendered representations (e.g. in what ways are males and females written or spoken about). Additionally, the book shows ways that readers can either explore their own hypotheses, or approach the corpus from a "naïve" position, letting the data drive their analysis from the outset. The book covers a range of techniques and measures including frequencies, keywords, collocations, dispersion, word sketches, downsizing and triangulation, all in an accessible style. Cover HalfTitle Series Title Copyright Contents Acknowledgements CHAPTER ONE Introduction How many times did you say ‘I love you’ today? From gender difference to gendered discourses Building a corpus . . . . . . and analysing it Overview of the book CHAPTER TWO Gender difference redux: Do women really say ‘lovely’ more than men? Introduction Corpus approaches to sex difference Measuring similarity Making the atypical stereotypical The value of a third corpus Conclusion CHAPTER THREE Nope, good guess though: How do female academics signal disagreement? Introduction Corpus-based studies on gender: Still difference Identifying complex interactional phenomena Disagreement strategies Differences among women Conclusion CHAPTER FOUR Male bias and change over time: Where are all the spokeswomen? Introduction Corpus analysis on language, sexism and gender equality Choosing terms Functionalization Relational identification Male firstness Genericization Pejorative terms Gender-inclusive terms Conclusion CHAPTER FIVE Discourse prosodies and legitimation strategies: Revisiting the Daily Mail’s representations of gay men Introduction The Daily Mail From collocates to discourse prosodies The Mail’s discourse prosodies Overlapping prosodies Legitimation strategies Conclusion CHAPTER SIX What are boys and girls made of? Using Sketch Engine to analyse collocational patterns Introduction Studies of collocation and gender Analysis of BOY and GIRL Conclusion CHAPTER SEVEN Triangulating methods: What can personal ads on Craigslist reveal about gender? Introduction Creating the corpora Tagging the corpora Comparing more than two corpora Method 1: Comparing semantic tags Australia India Singapore Discussion of Method 1 Method 2: Collocational networks Method 3: Concordancing women Discourse 1: Women’s sexuality suppressed Discourse 2: Women, know your place Discourse 3: Treat her like a queen Conclusion CHAPTER EIGHT Conclusion Introduction Considering limitations Reducing researcher bias Women are from Earth, Men are from Earth Male bias not yet over Concluding remarks Notes References Index