Languages & Cultures of East Asia
Trad 101, Sections
18-19-20-21 Fall 2000
Lecture Outline, 9/25/00 - Gender Roles and Gender Distinction in Language
today: Reading
#16
Wednesday: Reading #17
Friday: Readings
#18-19
1st essay assignment (due October 11) - read the assignment sheet carefully
Today:
Gender roles in East Asia (particular attention to Japan)
Gender distinctions found in the Japanese language
Gender roles in East Asia
Confucian relationships make women subordinate; clear distinction
in gender
Husband - wife
Hierarchy
Reciprocity
Wife joins husband's family
Sons preferred over daughters
Education
Traditionally seen as less
important for women
As a group, women still don't go as
far in the educational system
Japan: tandai vs. regular university (practical reason for that)
But
at least some go as far as Ph.D.
Employment
Women typically work before
marriage
Korean women perhaps more likely to
quit on marriage?
Japanese women quit when they have
a child - but still, many mothers do work,
either full-time or
part-time
Women not achieving high positions
Types of jobs - Japan: OL vs.
career track
Adulthood/Marriage
Chinese men can attain it w/o
marriage
In Korea, strongly tied to marriage
for both sexes (ceremony needed only once)
In Japan, more important for women
than men, perhaps
But still important for men too
(students not adult - work helps, but an unmarried
man is not quite trusted; residency
after marriage)
Who holds power?
Political
Economic
Domestic
Investments, major purchases, arranging marriages,
handling kids, education, etc. - women's area
Many women like this division of labor, pity men,
and feel they have the best of things
Gender distinctions found in the Japanese language
1. talking to men/women (addressee)
anata 'you (formal/neutral)' - wife to husband
omae 'you (deprecatory)' - husband to wife
oi Yoko!
nani
Kazuo san?
'Hey, Yoko'
'What, Mr. Kazuo?'
2. talking about men/women (referent)
|
joryuu-sakka
female-writer |
*danryuu-sakka |
|
jo-i
female-doctor |
*dan-i |
|
dan-jo
male-female
male and female |
*jo-dan |
3. men/women talking (speaker)
|
watakushi
watashi
boku
ore
|
watakushi
atakushi
watashi
atashi
0
|
longer - formal
talking to a neighbor, a landlord, a friend, a co-worker,
a teacher, a relative, an acquaintance....
male vs. female
self defined by gender and relationships with others
|
sushi ga tabetai
sushi want to eat
(I) want to eat sushi |
ze
|
|
o-sushi ga tabetai |
wa |
|
bentoo vs. o-bentoo
sakana vs. o-sakana
sashimi vs. o-sashimi
kane vs. o-kane |
'lunch box'
'fish'
'raw fish'
'money' |
can tell from a transcript if the speaker is a man or a woman
women tend to speak more politely
grammatical system to express politeness
|
formal/informal
honorifics (neutral/respect/humble)
you can combine them |
addressee
referent
|
impossible to speak w/o marking gender and various relationships you have
Is it a sign of an "underdeveloped" culture/society?
No
Differences began to emerge in the
13th century
(there was little difference before
that)
The distinction became clearer
within the urban population
in the 17th century with the
influence of the Confucian ideas
But before WWII, the distinction
was still almost nonexistent
in rural communities
English
Mr. vs. Mrs./Miss.
Man (human)
Male nurse
Chairman
Husband and wife
It just means Japanese has more
ways to make these distinctions
Similar to the question 'are
Japanese/Korean people more polite?'
Depends on the situation and the person
Karaoke bars (drinking with colleagues)
No
need to say thanks within family
All
languages have ways to be polite
English
Would
you please....
Will
you.....
Do
you mind if...
Ma'am,
Sir, Dr. Liu, Professor Liu
Ono
gave the lecture.
Professor
Ono gave the lecture.
Japanese/Korean have built-in
systems to express politeness
English/Chinese don't
|