Luo Jing

Abstract: The research of gender differences is a major issue in sociolinguistics. Based on theory of sociolinguistics and pragmatics, this thesis makes a pragmatic study of gender differences in daily conversations. It aims to demonstrate how females and males differ in observing and flouting the pragmatic principles: the Cooperative Principle, the Politeness Principle and the Face Theory in daily conversations and explores the reasons and consequences of gender differences in order to get a better understanding about gender differences and the discourse styles from the pragmatic perspective, to minimize the misunderstanding between females and males and improve cross-gender conversations.

Collecting and analyzing thirty-four conversations in several Chinese-speaking movies, this thesis reveals gender differences in observing or flouting the pragmatic principles in daily conversations. Females and males use different communicative strategies, males tend to be competitive, while females tend to be cooperative in cross-gender conversations. In daily conversation, females can make adequate and relevant responses to the other party’s speech and tend to observe the Cooperative Principle, while males tend to flout this principle without making adequate and relevant response to the other party’s speech. In daily conversations, females like using questions, requests and indirect expressions and seldom use swear or taboo language. So females tend to observe the Politeness Principle, while males tend to flout the Politeness Principle by using more imperatives, directives, swear or taboo language. From the Perspective of Face Theory, females and males also differ in employing face strategies. Females tend to employ negative face strategies since are shy and like using hedges. Males tend to employ positive face strategies. They are optimistic, voluble and like interrupting others.

This thesis also analyzes the reasons that cause gender differences in conversations. Gender differences are mainly caused by different sub-cultures, daily status and psychological factors between females and males. Gender differences also have some negative effects. Gender differences cause females’ disadvantage in work. This is closely related to females’ speech style besides growing and educational factors. For example, females like using hedge to show that they are indecisive, have no their own judgments, and are not suitable for being leaders. Gender differences also cause miscommunication in cross-gender conversations. For example, between a couple, the husband will not talk about something that he thinks to be trivial, but the wife feel that they are neglected since there is a difference of what is important and what is trivial between female and males. This will in turn impose contradiction, misunderstanding or even conflict between females and males.

In order to improve negative effects caused by gender differences in daily conversations, to enhance the women’s status and improve cross-gender conversations, this thesis initiates some suggestions. Additionally, different context, ages, professions, statuses, etc. also influence females’ and males’ language use in conversation. And all of these are worth further study in the future.

Key words: gender differences; the Cooperative principle; the Politeness Principle; the Face Theory

总 结：

1、本文在社会语言学和语用学理论研究成果的基础上，从语用学的角度，通过分析男女在日常会话中对语用原则中的合作原则，礼貌原则，面子理论的遵守与违反，发现会话在语用学视角内存在着显著的性别差异，阐述性别差异形成的原因及引发的系列问题，目的在于更好地理解男女会话中的不同策略及差异，更好地进行异性会话交际，减少两性之间的误解。

2、会话中男女在遵守与违反语用原则中的差异：男女两性使用不同的交际策略,异性交际中男性的交际风格倾向于竞争,而女性倾向于合作。在日常会话中,女性一般都能对对方的提问做出充分的、相关的回答,从而遵守合作原则；男性则因对对方的提问不能做出充分的、相关的回答,从而违背合作原则。女性喜欢使用问句,请求,间接表达,较少说脏话和禁忌语,所以她们大多都能遵守礼貌原则；男性则较多地用祈使句,命令句,并日较多说脏话和禁忌语,因而违背礼貌原则。在面子理论方面,男女在会话中所运用的面子策略也存在差异；女性常常采用消极面子策略,她们害羞,喜欢用模糊语；而男性喜欢用积极面子策略,他们乐观、健谈,喜欢打断别人。

3、本文还分析了会话中这系列性别差异产生的原因,指出这种差异主要是由男女不同的亚文化背景,社会权势和性别心理因素造成的。

4、为了克服日常会话中性别差异所带来的负面影响,使女性的地位和职业受到重视以及促进男女话语交际的顺利进行。

来源：罗婧 Foreign linguistics and Applied Linguistics Major. 东华大学硕士学位论文 2008年3月