Gender, Identity, and Language Use in Web Discussion Forum and Mobile Phone Txt Messages
https://doi.org/10.17583/generos.2016.1477
Keywords:
Downloads
Abstract
This study explored and compared both online and txt (text) messaging gender and identity construction and language use among adult males and females. The online gender and identity construction and language use concerned adult males and females who participated in a web discussion forum (WDF) while the txt messaging gender and identity construction and language use related to adult male and female users of mobile technologies from South Africa. The specific WDF serving as a focal point for the study was http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/becomingwebhead, whereas the specific mobile technologies on which the study focused were mobile phones (MPs). Online and MP txt messaging gender and identity construction and language use were examined in terms of the disclosure of personal information, sexual identity, emotive features and semantic themes (Huffaker and Calvert 2005). Some of the findings of this study are as follows: both females and males investigated here tended to construct their identities both similarly and differently depending on the form of technology they employed; in both the WDF and MP messages, more females tended to employ emoticons than did males and the same was true of the emotive traits related to expressive language; the two genders engaged in intimate topics in varying degrees; and both genders seemed to employ passive and cooperative language (and accommodating language to some degree) very nearly similarly.Downloads
References
Bhabha, H. (1994). The location of culture. London: Routledge.
Google Scholar CrossrefBucholtz, M. (1999). Bad examples: transgression and progress in language and gender
Google Scholar Crossrefstudies. In M. Bucholtz, A.C. Liang, & L.A. Sutton (Eds.), Reinventing identities: The gendered self in discourse (pp. 3-20). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Google Scholar CrossrefBurgess, C. (2002). The relevance of the bridging of discourse and feminist theory for
Google Scholar CrossrefJapan. Retrieved from http://wwwsshe.murdoch.edu.au/intersections/issue7burgess.html
Google Scholar CrossrefButler. J. (1997). Excitable speech: A politics of the performative. London: Routledge.
Google Scholar CrossrefCalcutt, A. (2001). Generation txt: mixed messages. Retrieved from
Google Scholar Crossrefhttp://www.spiked-online.com/Articles/0000000054DF.htm
Google Scholar CrossrefCameron, D. (1992). Feminism & linguistic theory. London: MacMillan Press.
Google Scholar CrossrefCameron, D. (1997). Performing gender identity: young men’s talk and the construction
Google Scholar Crossrefof heterosexual masculinity. In S. Johnson, & U.H. Meinhof (Eds.), Language and masculinity (pp. 47-64). Oxford: Blackwell.
Google Scholar CrossrefCameron, D. (Ed.) (1998). The feminist critique of language: A reader. London:
Google Scholar CrossrefRoutledge.
Google Scholar CrossrefCastells, M. (2000). The rise of the network society, the information age: Economy,
Google Scholar Crossrefsociety and culture. Oxford: Blackwell.
Google Scholar CrossrefCoates, J., & Cameron, D. (Eds.) (1988). Women in their speech communities. London:
Google Scholar CrossrefLongman.
Google Scholar CrossrefCrawford, M. (1995). Talking difference: On gender and language. London: Sage.
Google Scholar CrossrefCrystal, D. (2001). Language and the Internet. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Google Scholar CrossrefD’Addario, K.P. (n.d.). Do those little “smiley-faces” in electronic mail have an effect on
Google Scholar Crossrefthe reader? Retrieved from http://www.rpi.edu/~daddak/emoticonpaper.html
Google Scholar CrossrefDiamandaki, K. (2003). Virtual ethnicity and digital diasporas: identity construction in
Google Scholar Crossrefcyberspace. Global Media Journal 2(2). Retrieved from http://lass.calumet.purdue.edu/cca/gmj/SubmittedDocuments/archivedpapers/Spring2003/diamondaki.htm
Google Scholar CrossrefDonath, J.S. (1996). Identity and deception in the virtual world. Retrieved from
Google Scholar Crossrefhttp://smg.media.mit.edu/peopleJudith/Identity/IdentityDeception.html
Google Scholar CrossrefEckert, P., & McConnell-Ginet, S. (1999). New generalizations and explanations in
Google Scholar Crossreflanguage and gender research. Language and Society, 28(2), 185-201.
Google Scholar CrossrefErasmus, E. (1998). The relationship between postmodernism and feminism: A
Google Scholar Crossrefconstruction of sites of engagements. Acta Academica, 30(1), 1-31.
Google Scholar CrossrefFarina, F., & Lyddy, F. (2011). The Language of text messaging: “linguistic ruin” or
Google Scholar Crossrefresource? The Irish Psychologist, 37(6), 144-149. Retrieved from http://eprints.nuim.ie/2681/1/FF_Text_Messaging.pdf
Google Scholar CrossrefGeertsema, S., Hyman, C., & van Deventer, C. (2011). Short message service (SMS)
Google Scholar Crossreflanguage and written language skills: educators’ perspectives. South African Journal of Education, 31, 475-487. Retrieved from http://www.scielo.org.za/pdf/saje/v31n4/v31n4a02.pdf
Google Scholar CrossrefGriffiths, M. (1995). Making a difference: feminism, post-modernism and the
Google Scholar Crossrefmethodology of educational research. British Educational Research Journal, 21(2), 219-235.
Google Scholar CrossrefHeckman, R., & Annabi, H. (2005). A content analytical comparison of learning
Google Scholar Crossrefprocesses in online and face-to-face case study discussions. Retrieved from http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol10/issue2/heckman.html
Google Scholar CrossrefHerring, S.C. (2000). Gender differences in CMC: Findings and implications. Computer
Google Scholar CrossrefProfessionals for Social Responsibility, 18(1). Retrieved from http://www.cpsr.org/publications/newsletters/issues/2000/Winter2000/herring.html
Google Scholar CrossrefHerring, S.C., Kouper, I., Scheidt, L.A., & Wright, E.L. (2004). Women and children
Google Scholar Crossreflast: the discursive construction of weblogs. In L.J. Gurak, S. Antonijevic, L. Johnson, C .Ratliff, & J. Reyman (Eds.), Into the blogosphere: Rhetoric, community, and culture of weblogs. Retrieved from http://blog.lib.umn.edu/blogsphere/women and children.html
Google Scholar CrossrefHuffaker, D.A. (2004). Spinning yarns around a digital fire: storytelling and dialogue
Google Scholar Crossrefamong youth on the Internet. First Monday, 9(1). Retrieved from http://www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue9_1/huffaker/index.html
Google Scholar CrossrefHuffaker, D.A., & Calvert, S.L. (2005). Gender, identity and language use in teenage
Google Scholar Crossrefblogs. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 10(2). Retrieved from http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol10/issue2/huffaker.html
Google Scholar CrossrefJones, S.G. (Ed.) (1997). Virtual culture: Identity and communication in cybersociety.
Google Scholar CrossrefLondon: Sage.
Google Scholar CrossrefKatz, J.E., & Aakhus. M. (2002). Conclusion: making meaning of mobiles: a theory of
Google Scholar Crossrefapparatgeist. In J.E. Katz, & M Aakhus (Eds.), Perpetual contact: Mobile communication, private talk, public performance (pp. 301-318). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Google Scholar CrossrefLakoff, R. (1975). Language and woman’s place. New York: Harper & Row.
Google Scholar CrossrefLather, P. (1992). Post-critical pedagogies: a feminist reading. In J .Gore, & C. Luke
Google Scholar Crossref(Eds.), Feminisms and critical pedagogy (pp. 120-137). London: Routledge.
Google Scholar CrossrefLee, C. (2003). How does instant messaging affect interaction between the genders?
Google Scholar CrossrefRetrieved from http://www.stanford.edu/class/pwr3-25/group2/projects/lee.html
Google Scholar CrossrefLevinson, S.C. (1983). Pragmatics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Google Scholar CrossrefLeung, L., & Wei, R. (2000). More than just talk on the move: uses and gratifications of
Google Scholar Crossrefthe cellular phone. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 77(2), 308-320.
Google Scholar CrossrefLewis, R., & Mills, S. (Eds.) (2003). Post-colonial feminist theory: A reader. Edinburgh:
Google Scholar CrossrefEdinburgh University Press.
Google Scholar CrossrefLing, R., & Yttri, B. (2002). Hyper-coordination via mobile phones in Norway. In J.
Google Scholar CrossrefKatz, & M. Aakhus (Eds.), Perpetual contact: Mobile communication, private talk, public performance (pp. 139-169). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Google Scholar CrossrefLiwei, G. (2001). Digital age, digital English. English Today, 17(3), 17-23.
Google Scholar CrossrefLowe, W. (2003). The statistics of text: new methods for content analysis. Retrieved from
Google Scholar Crossrefhttp://people.cbrss.harvard.edu/~wlowe/Publications/content.pdf
Google Scholar CrossrefLuke, C. (1992). Feminist politics in radical pedagogy. In J. Gore, & C. Luke (Eds.),
Google Scholar CrossrefFeminisms and Critical Pedagogy (pp. 25-53). New York: Routledge.
Google Scholar CrossrefMarney, R. (2005). Case study: online identities. Retrieved from
Google Scholar Crossrefhttp://www.people.virginia.edu/~rmm4y/casestudy.html
Google Scholar CrossrefMcArthur, T. (2000). Netcronyms and emoticons. English Today, 16(4), 40.
Google Scholar CrossrefMicrosoft Corporation. (2005). Microsoft’s vision for an identity metasystem. Retrieved f
Google Scholar Crossref Google Scholar CrossrefMills, S. (2003a). Caught between sexism, anti-sexism and “political correctness”:
Google Scholar Crossreffeminist negotiations with naming practices. Discourse and Society, 14(1), 87-110.
Google Scholar CrossrefMills, S. (2003b). Third wave feminist linguistics and analysis of sexism. Retrieved from
Google Scholar Crossrefhttp://www.shu.ac.uk/daol/articles/open/2003/001/mills/2003001-paper.html
Google Scholar CrossrefMills, S. (2003c). Gender and politeness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Google Scholar CrossrefMurphy, E. (2001). Investigating the multiple worlds of teaching through multiloguing.
Google Scholar CrossrefEducational Technology & Society, 4(3). Retrieved from http://ifets.ieee.org/periodical/vol_3_2001/murphy.html
Google Scholar CrossrefNjemanze, Q.U. (2012). The SMS style of communication: implications of language
Google Scholar Crossrefusage among Nigerian university students' communication. Journal of Communication, 3(1), 17-23.
Google Scholar CrossrefNorrick, N. (1991). On the organization of corrective exchanges in conversation. Journal
Google Scholar Crossrefof Pragmatics, 16, 59-83.
Google Scholar CrossrefOyinloye, G.O. (2009). Assessing the need for mobile communication mediated
Google Scholar Crossrefinstructional strategy in the teaching of writing skills. Retrieved from http://medwelljournals.com/fulltext/ijsc/2009/39-44.pdf
Google Scholar CrossrefPachler, N., & Daly, C. (2009). Narrative and learning with Web 2.0 technologies:
Google Scholar Crossreftowards a research agenda. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 25, 6–18. Retrieved from http://eprints.ioe.ac.uk/5417/1/Pachler2009Narrative6.pdf
Google Scholar CrossrefPersson, P. (2003). ExMS: an animated and avatar-based messaging system for
Google Scholar Crossrefexpressive peer communication. Retrieved from http://www.perpersson.net/Publications/group2003.pdf
Google Scholar CrossrefPetrina, S. (1998). The politics of research in technology education: a critical content and discourse analysis. Journal of Technology Education, 10(1), 27-57.
Google Scholar CrossrefPiller, I. (2001). Identity construction in multilingual advertising. Language in Society,
Google Scholar Crossref, 153-182.
Google Scholar CrossrefPoynton, C. (1993). Grammar, language and the social: poststructuralism and systemic-
Google Scholar Crossreffunctional linguistics. Social Semiotics, 3(1), 1-21.
Google Scholar CrossrefRassool, N. (1998). Postmodernity, cultural pluralism and the nations-state: problems of
Google Scholar Crossreflanguage rights, human rights, identity and power. Language Sciences, 20(1), 89-112.
Google Scholar CrossrefRiggins, S.H. (1997). The rhetoric of othering. In S.H. Riggins (Ed.), The language and
Google Scholar Crossrefpolitics of exclusion: Others in discourse (pp. 1-3-0). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Google Scholar CrossrefSacks, H. (1994). Lectures on conversation. Oxford: Blackwell.
Google Scholar CrossrefSadiqi, F. (2003). Gender and language in Morocco. Leiden: Brill.
Google Scholar CrossrefSimpson, A. (1997). It’s a game!: the construction of gendered subjectivity. In R. Wodak
Google Scholar Crossref(Ed.), Gender and Discourse (pp. 197-224). London: Sage.
Google Scholar CrossrefStalder, F. (2000). Digital identities – patterns in information flows. Retrieved from
Google Scholar Crossrefhttp://felix.openflows.org/html/digital_identity.html
Google Scholar CrossrefSwann, J. (2002). Yes, but is it gender? In L. Litosseliti, & J. Sunderland (Eds.), Gender
Google Scholar Crossrefidentity and discourse analysis (pp. 43-67). Amsterdam: John Benjamins
Google Scholar CrossrefTannen, D. (1990). You just don’t understand: Women and men in conversation. London:
Google Scholar CrossrefVirago.
Google Scholar CrossrefTapscott, D. (1998). Growing up digital: The rise of the net generation. Washington,
Google Scholar CrossrefDC.: McGraw-Hill.
Google Scholar CrossrefThurlow, C., & Brown, A. (2003). Generation txt? the sociolinguistics of young people’s
Google Scholar Crossreftext-messaging. Retrieved from http://www.shu.ac.uk/daol/articles/v1/n1/a3/thurlow2002003-paper.html
Google Scholar CrossrefThurlow, C., Lengel, L.B., & Tomic, A. (2004). Computer mediated communication: A
Google Scholar Crossrefcritical exploration of social interaction online. London: Sage.
Google Scholar CrossrefTurkle, S. (1995). Life on the screen: Identity in the age of the Internet. New York:
Google Scholar CrossrefSimon & Schuster.
Google Scholar CrossrefTurkle, S. (1996). Who am we? Wired Magazine, 4(1). Retrieved from
Google Scholar Crossrefhttp://www.wired.com/wired/archive/4.01/turkle_pr.html
Google Scholar CrossrefWeedon, C. (1987). Feminist practice and poststructuralist theory. London: Blackwell.
Google Scholar CrossrefWodak, R. (1997). Introduction some important issues in the research of gender and
Google Scholar Crossrefdiscourse. In R ,Wodak (Ed.), Gender and Discourse (pp. 1-20). London: Sage.
Google Scholar CrossrefDownloads
Published
Almetric
Dimensions
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
All articles are published under Creative Commons copyright (CC BY). Authors hold the copyright and retain publishing rights without restrictions, but authors allow anyone to download, reuse, reprint, modify, distribute, and/or copy articles as the original source is cited.