Muted Group TheoryofCheris Kramarae

Reporters:Charmaine CarpioRachele Ivy JaymeAnne Karmela Eucogco

“The language of a particular culture does

not serve all its speakers equally, for

not all speakers contribute in an equal

fashion to its formulation. Women

(and members of other subordinate groups) are not as free or as

able as men are to say what they wish, when and where they wish,

because the words and the norms for their use have been formulated

by the dominant group, men.”

Muted Groups: Black

Holes in Someone

Else’s Universe

Edwin Ardener

The Masculine Power to

Name Experienc

e

“women perceive the

world differently from men because of

women’s and men’s

different experience

and activities rooted in the

division of labor. ”

Catty, bitchy, shrill, cackling,

gossipy, chitchat, sharp-tongued, etc.

Playboy, stud, rake, gigolo, Don

Juan, lothario,

womanizer

Slut, whore, hooker,

prostitute, trollop,

mistress, harlot, Jezebel,

hussy, concubine,

streetwalker, strumpet, easy

lay, and the like.

Men as the

Gatekeepers of

communication

Malestream expression

The Unfulfilled Promise of

the Internet

Four Common Metaphors show

why Women Continue to be Muted and the

Promise of Gender Equality

has yet to be Fulfilled

1.Information superhighway

2.The New Frontier

3.Democracy

4.A Global Community

Women’s Truth into

Men’s Talk: The

Problem of Translation

Speaking out in

Private: Networkin

g with Women

Speaking Out in

Public: A Feminist

Dictionary

Appearance – a woman’s appearance is her work uniform… a woman’s concern with her appearance is not a result of brainwashing; it is a reaction to necessity (a Redstockings Sister)

Cuckold - the husband of an unfaithful wife. The wife of an unfaithful husband is just called a wife. (Cheris Kramarae)

Depression – a psychiatric label that… hides the social fact of the housewife’s loneliness, low self-esteem and work dissatisfaction (Ann Oakley)

Doll – a toy playmate given to or made by children. Some adult males continue their childhood labeling adult female companions “dolls” (Cheris Kramarae)

Family man – refers to a man who shows more concern with members of the family than is normal. There is no label for family woman , since that would be heard as redundancy. (Cheris Kramarae)

Herstory – the human story told by women and about women (Anne Forfreedom)

One of the boys – means NOT one of the girls (Cheris Kramarae)

Parenthood – a condition in which often brings dramatic changes to new mothers – “loss of job, income and status; severing of networks and social contacts; and adjustments to being a housewife”. Most new fathers do not report similar social dislocations. (Lorna McKee and Margaret O’ Brien)

Pornography – Pornography is the theory, rape is the practice. (Andrea Dworkin)

Questions

1. Can you apply

Kramarae’s views in today’s

setting?

2. Can you say that media

played a part in setting up the

muted status of women in the society? How?

Thank you.

Charmaine CarpioRachele Ivy JaymeAnne Karmela Eucogco