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Chapter 5: Gendered Verbal Communication
Multiple Choice
1.
Which of the following is an example of generic language that would refer
to everyone regardless of their gender?
a. congressman
b. mail carrier
c. actress
d. mankind
e. chairman
2.
Which of the following examples shows a way in which a female athlete or politician
is most treated like a male athlete or politician would be by the media?
a. Corey Cogdell is identified as the wife of a Bears’ lineman rather than an Olympic
medal winner.
b. Women skiers are complimented for managing the course and their makeup deftly.
c. Hillary Clinton’s outfits are analyzed and determined to be too dowdy.
d. Elizabeth Warren is criticized for her stance that tax reform should benefit the poor.
e. Katy Ledecky earns a world record in the 400-meter freestyle and told she “swims
like a man.”
3.
Which of the following phrases would be unusual to use in reference to a man?
a. He balled her.
b. He let her give it to him.
c. He’s a player.
d. He knocked her up.
e. He got what he wanted.
4.
In what ways is language changed to reflect our changing understandings of ourselves
and our world?
a. To reject terms that we find objectionable.
b. To create new terms to define realities we think are important.
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c. To shape meanings of our culture.
d. To better define how we see ourselves and the world.
e. All of the above.
5.
Which of the following is the example of stereotype we typically hold about gender
in U.S. society?
a. That women are emotional and don’t make reasoned arguments.
b. That assertive women are showing confidence.
c. That certain actions can only be masculine or feminine.
d. That men tend to make emotional appeals to win arguments.
e. That a man who is too assertive will come across as off putting.
6.
Which of the following terms is one you would not expect to see in the kinds of
language typically used to describe women?
a. honey
b. chick
c. stud
d. cow
e. sugar
7.
What would be a style of communication would expect to see happen in a boys’ game
rather than a girls’ game?
a. Use communication to show sensitivity to others and relationships.
b. Use communication to include others and bring their ideas into the conversation.
c. Use communication to establish egalitarian relations with others and avoid criticism.
d. Use talk to achieve something, such as solving problems or developing
strategies.
e. Use communication to create and maintain relationships.
8.
Which movement asked men to rededicate themselves to their families, spiritual
transformation, and political action?
a. Million Man March
b. Mythopoetic Men
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c. Free Men
d. White Ribbon Campaign
e. Profeminists
9.
Sarah is talking to Matt. He tells her that he is going through a rough time and that his
long-term girlfriend recently dumped him to be with someone else. Sarah tells Matt
she is sorry to hear it and that she had a boyfriend cheat on her once and it really upset
her. Matt feels that Sarah is trying to steer the conversation toward herself. What is
Sarah likely trying to do?
a. Give personal, concrete details about herself to cultivate a personal tone.
b. Do maintenance work to help sustain the conversation.
c. Establish equality by matching experiences with Matt.
d. Demonstrate responsiveness by showing she cares what he has to say.
e. Show tentativeness to open the door and allow him to share his opinions.
10.
A female senator stands before a crowd to talk about the tax code. She spends some
time demonstrating her knowledge of policy and forcefully demonstrates that she has a
plan to better the lives of her constituents. Afterward, she discovers her speech was not
taken well, that most people thought she was too aggressive. What tactic would have
likely helped her speech be better received?
a. Bringing personal details into the speech such as talking about specific families and
especially children affected by the current policies.
b. Speaking with more tentativeness and hedging her words and phrases a little
more.
c. Discussing a topic that is seen as more suitably feminine, such as childcare and
family leave.
d. Mentioning her own personal struggles with money and relaying that she is a
relatable and likeable person.
e. All of the above
11.
Topic or question should come from class business. See pages 8-10 of this manual
for details on this activity.
True/False
12.
Dictionaries and national newspapers now have policies requiring inclusive language and
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13.
Hurricanes with feminine names are more deadly than those with masculine
names.
14.
Most heterosexual women now keep their last names rather than taking their husbands’
names upon marrying.
15.
Naming typically has little influence in the way we think and deciding what matters to
us.
16.
Girls primarily communicate in feminine ways, which is a reflection of how sex
influences the way we speak.
17.
A speech community can be based around gender, race, culture, or economic class.
18.
Girls’ games are typically played in larger groups and the games have a set of established
rules.
19.
Masculine speech tends to be more abstract, using general or conceptual terms that are
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removed from concrete experiences and personal feelings.
20.
Men tend to speak more tentatively than women when talking about feminine topics.
21.
benevolent sexism
22.
generic language
23.
minimal response cues
24.
polarized thinking
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25.
speech community
26.
In what ways does language organize perceptions of gender through stereotyping and
polarized perceptions of sex and gender?
ANS: A stereotype is a generalization about an entire class of phenomena based on
REF: pp. 102
27.
In what ways do boys’ and girls’ games differ? How do these difference encourage
different communication rules?
ANS: Boys’ games usually involve fairly large groups and are competitive, have clear goals,
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28.
What are the characteristics of feminine speech communication and why are they used?
How would a man be perceived if he attempted to use one of these characteristics?
ANS: Feminine speech communities tend to regard communication as the primary way to
establish and maintain relationships with others. They use language to foster connections and
29.
Topic or question should come from class business. See pages 8-10 of this manual for
details on this activity.