LIN 317: Language and Society:
Language and Gender
Dr. Anna Bosch
Office:
Office hours:
Telephone:
Mailbox:
e-mail:
Classroom:
1249 Patterson Office Tower
Thursday 2-4pm and by appointment
257-1416 (office) or 257-7008 (English Department)
1215 Patterson Office Tower
bosch@pop.uky.edu
Funkhauser Building, room B1
This course is an introduction to the study of language and gender. Students need not have
any background in linguistics to enroll, although students with some linguistic background
will probably reap additional benefit from the course. In this course we will consider some
of the debates taking place currently in sociolinguistic studies of gender in order to examine
whether, how, and why gender differences in language use exist. This area of language
study also intersects with related work in the fields of anthropology, sociology, women’s
studies, and psychology, so our readings will be varied.
Required Text:
Language and Gender: A Reader, edited by Jennifer Coates, Blackwell Publishers, 1998.
There may be additional readings handed out during the course of the semester.
Requirements:
There will be four homework assignments and a research project. The research paper
should be 8-10 pages long. Students will also prepare a 10-minute oral presentation on their
research project, to be presented during the final 3 weeks of the course. In addition, at the
beginning of each class you will hand in a paragraph-long summary of each article assigned
for that day, including a one-sentence “reaction”. Students will also be responsible for
leading at least one small-group discussion.
Grading:
Homework assignments: 4 at 10%:
Summaries: 16 + 4 points free:
Oral Presentation:
Research Project:
Class Participation:
40%
20%
10%
20%
10%
The student's responsibilities:
 You are responsible for the material covered in class lectures and discussions, and
for assigned readings from the text.
 You are expected to attend every class meeting. More than 3 unexcused absences
will lower your grade by one full letter grade. If you must miss class for any reason
other than illness, please inform me in writing at least 2 days before the missed class
(see attached “request for excused absence”). In such a case you should plan to turn
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in assignments early. If you miss a class due to an illness or an excused absence,
you have a one-day grace period to turn in your reading summaries.
If you arrive late to class, it is your responsibility to let me know in writing (use
attached form) that you have attended the class—otherwise you may be recorded as
absent. You may make additional copies of this form as required. If you arrive late
to class more than 5 times, your final course grade will be affected negatively.
Homework assignments will be collected at the beginning of class on the day due;
they may be turned in to my office or mailbox the following day if you wish. No
homework will be accepted more than 24 hours after the original due date. You may
discuss homework assignments with a classmate, but each individual must turn in
his or her own work. This means that you may discuss homework assignments with
others, but as soon as you begin to write, you must work independently. (See note
on plagiarism, below.)
All homework assignments must be typed (double-spaced, with one-inch margins),
and all written work should reflect the standards of a university (i.e., accurate
spelling, careful proofreading, standard written English grammar, and so on).
Finally, if you are having trouble with a particular assignment, or having difficulty
understanding certain concepts in class, please let me know, either in class or after
class. Questions are always welcome.
Schedule:
Aug. 23: Introduction to the class
Aug. 28: Part II: Gender Differences in
Conversational Practice
Chapters 7&8
Aug. 30: Part II: Chapters 9&10
Sept. 4: Part III: Conversational Dominance in
Mixed Talk
Chapters 11&12
Oct. 9: Part I: Chapters 5&6
Oct 11: Homework #3 and Discussion
Oct. 16: Part VI: Theoretical Debates: Gender or
Power?
Chapter 24
Oct. 18: Part VI: Chapters 25&26
* 5-item annotated bibliography for research
project due *
Sept. 6: Part III: Chapters 13&14
Sept. 11: Part IV: Same-Sex Talk
Chapters 15, 16, &17
Oct. 23: Part VII: Theoretical Debates: Difference
or Dominance? Chapter 27
Oct. 25: Homework #4 and Discussion
Sept. 13: Part IV: Chapters18&19
Oct. 30: Part VII: Chapters 28&29
Sept. 18: Homework #1 and Discussion
Sept. 20: Part V: Women’s Talk in the Private
Domain
Chapters 20&21
Nov. 1: Part VIII: Looking to the Future
Chapter 30; * Four-page draft of research project
due * (methods section)
Sept. 25: Part V: Chapters 22&23
Nov. 6: Part VIII: Chapter 31
Sept. 27: Homework #2 and Discussion
Nov. 8: Part VIII: Chapter 32
Oct. 2: Part I: Gender Differences in Pronunciation
and Grammar Chapters 1&2
Nov. 13-15: Student-Teacher Conferences
* Sign up for a conference with me on your
research project *
Oct. 4: Part I: Chapters 3&4
* One-page abstract of final project due *
Nov. 20: Begin student presentations of research
projects
Nov. 22: THANKSGIVING DAY
NO CLASSES
Nov. 27-29: Student presentations
Dec. 4-6:Student presentations
Tuesday, December 11, 4:30pm: Research
project due in my office (1249 POT), or the
main office of the English Department (1215
POT).
LIN 317: Language and Society: Language and Gender
Student Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this course, the student will be able to:
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Describe the major topics of interest in this area of study, with a particular focus
on phonological alternation, word choice differences, and differences in
conversational strategy;
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Transcribe an ordinary conversation according to standard conventions of
transcription,
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Identify linguistic elements of the transcription that are worthy of close
investigation;

Account for the arguments for and against the cultural difference approach
versus the dominance approach in accounting for gender differences in language
use;

Identify the major researchers affiliated with the difference approach and the
dominance approach.