This course will focus on the relationship between discourse, gender, power and identity. It will examine ways in which language can be actively varied by speakers according to social contexts, to express deference, solidarity, and identity. More specifically, the course will analyse ways in which gender is communicated and marked in language. How do people express identity through language? How is powerlessness revealed in talk? Is language inherently sexist? There are a number of different approaches to the analysis of discourse, such as Discourse Analysis, Conversation Analysis, Critical Discourse Analysis, Analysis of Institutional Talk, Interactional Sociolinguistics. A major focus of the course will be to critically examine some of these different approaches to the analysis of discourse, with respect to the issues of gender, power and identity.

2 x 2,500 word essays (40% each) and online discussion (20%).

2 hours of lectures per week and 7 tutorials over 13 weeks.

24 units including at least one linguistics (LING) course.

It is advisable to have completed Language in Society LING1002/2002 and/or Conversation Analysis LING3011.

Thornborrow, J (2002) Power Talk. London: Pearson Education