NOVERMBER 3, 2015 - NOVEMBER 10, 2015
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GOP debate turns against moderators
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RED ZONE: Gendered speech – roles, identities and chopsticks
By Kathryn Casello
features@thenorthernlight.org
Gendered speech, often referred to as gendered communication or ‘genderlect’, is the concept of speech and language patterns influenced by gender. The study of gender and language is often said to have begun with Robin Lakoff’s 1975 book, “Language and Woman’s Place,” and over the past 30 years sociolinguistics has significantly developed. Before diving into examples of gendered speech, it’s important to recognize that gender itself is a cultural concept; contemporary views of gender understand gendered speech and identity to be a continuum with a wide variety of degrees of masculinity and femininity. Guys can have feminine speech styles, and girls can have masculine speech styles. Western culture tends to put emphasis on gender roles based on heteronormative values — the belief that people fall into distinct genders (male and female). Heteronormativity also asserts that heterosexuality is the only
norm, and that relationships are mostly acceptable between people of opposite sexes. While western societies like the U.S. tend to be heteronormative, it’s not the universal rule. Many societies like India, Polynesia, Bangladesh, the Balkan states and Pakistan legally recognize more than two genders. “Third gender” can be equated to intersex, or personally identifying to neither the male nor female genders. “It is so important to recognize that gender is a continuum, and identifying or having traits that fall anywhere on the continuum shouldn’t seem threatening or offensive,” Professor Marsha Olson, a term professor in the Department of Communications, said. “I’ve told men before that they’re speech styles are more feminine as a compliment, but they think that I’m insulting them.” When asked if a third gender seemed progressive, Olson had mixed feelings. “I don’t love the idea of a ‘third gender’ just because it seems like another box, but I like what’s it trying for and I think that’s commendable. I’ve heard stories from students who say, ‘I don’t feel like I fit inside a box.’ I don’t think we can have a good society if people feel like outsiders, or feel like they’re not being seen or recognized,” said Olson. “I think the more we talk about it [the concept of gender as a spectrum] and normalize it, the better it’s going to be for us as a society.” Gender is also a separate concept from sexual orientation. While both socially operate on
a continuum, neither inherently dictates the other. For example, someone who identifies as female is not automatically attracted to men, and someone who identifies as intersex is not consequently asexual — a sexual orientation characterized by the lack of sexual attraction to anyone, or low or absent interest in sexual activity. Ultimately, gender is very abstract, and while identity is constructed by individual experience, the way in which we view gender is often dictated by larger social structures. “Feminine communication styles tend to be more concerned with relationship level meaning, like the underlying context, whereas men tend to focus more on content,” Olson said. “More generally, I think I end up doing
a lot more things, even in family or friend interactions because I feel like it’s a more feminine trait to be asking, ‘oh, is there anything I can do? What can I do for you or whatever it is that you need?’” According to Julia Wood, Ph.D. and author of “Gendered Lives: Communication, Gender, and Culture,” feminine speech styles operate as “a way to establish and maintain relationships with others. Women’s speech tends to display identifiable features that foster connections, support, closeness, and understanding.” People with more feminine communication styles are more likely to respond during conversations by nodding or saying “uh huh, yeah” to indicate involvement and support.
GRAPHIC BY JIAN BAUTISTA
“I feel myself asking and prompting other to speak because it does keep the conversation going,” Sydney Burns, a nursing major who works as a server at Yak and Yeti, said. “Women [customers] are more friendly and ask for things more often. If I need to refill waters, women will totally help me out and move all the waters to one part of the table, acknowledge that I’m there, stuff like that.” Feminine speech patterns also tend to be more passive or tentative. Women will often engage in verbal hedges; prefacing statements with “I kind of feel like… it might be possible that… maybe, you could be wrong.” “I feel like I try to avoid con-
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The Campaign for Free College Tuition – the campaign of our dreams? By Kathryn Casello
features@thenorthernlight.org
With midterms finished and registration for the spring semester creeping up, the 2015-16 school year is alive and kicking. Whether it’s the first semester of college or the final months of a graduate degree program, the reality of paying off student loans is ever looming for most students. Forbes Magazine published an article in January describing the projected net cost of college within the next 15 years. The 2015-16 school year’s national average cost of tuition and fees was $28,357 for out-of-state residents attending public universities, $9,139 for state residents at public colleges, and $59,341 at private colleges.
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U.S. News reported last year that, “the standard repayment plan for federal student loans puts borrowers on a 10-year track to pay off their debt, but research has shown the average bachelor’s degree holder takes 21 years to pay off his or her loans.” The collective sigh of 20 million college students can be heard in response to the disheartening prospect of 21 years of debt. “The personal dilemma that I’m having is with costs,” Malia Russell, major undeclared, said. “The scholarship I currently have is paying for one year of college tuition, but it’s requiring me to spend money to get the scholarship, to go fulltime (15 credits), and have a minimum of a 2.5 GPA. And I don’t get all the $3,000 in one semester; I have to go for a full year. So, I still am subject to take out
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loans because I don’t have $2,500 just laying around. I don’t understand why I get a bill for $3,700 for one semester of schooling and I’m taking all electives, and there’s all these hidden fees.” So what solutions does America have? When looking at post-secondary education on an international level, countries like Finland, Austria, Norway, Germany, and Sweden do not charge any tuition fees, or charge fees as low as 363 euros (U.S.D. $411) per semester. These countries pay for their citizen’s tuitions largely through higher income taxes. Is this a possibility for the US? In 2014, the Campaign for Free College Tuition was started in Washington, DC to “educate parents, students, the higher education community, policy makers and taxpayers about efforts needed to fundamentally reform our nation’s
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system for financing higher education.” The campaign website outlines a four step plan to involve federal and state governments in the creation of an inclusive national scholarship program, broader and more effective loan forgiveness programs, reasonable pricing systems and better student support services on behalf of the school and the government. With the ball rolling, the power to change is in the hands of policymakers and government leadership. For politicians looking to secure their legacy or create a legitimate election platform, education is a hot issue that gets a lot of attention. 1) President Obama – America’s College Promise In January of 2015, President Barack
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