MUTED GROUP THEORY(MGT)

Cao Kim Sang – s3311646Ngo My Huong – s3299558

Warm-up activity

A: You are a girl. B: You are a boy.

Content

Historical BackgroundThe definition of Muted group and MGTKey arguments of MGTThe ways women are mutedStrengths and weakness of MGT in Communication

Historical Background

Edwin ArdenerSocial anthropologist from

Oxford University

Cheris KramaraeProfessor of speech

communication and sociology at the University of Illinois

DEFINITION OF MUTED GROUP

Muted group are people with little power whohave trouble giving voice to their perceptionsbecause they must re-encode their thoughts tomake them understood in the public sphere.

For example: WOMAN

MUTED GROUP THEORY

Language is literally a man-made construction(Cherish Kramarae)Men and women perceive the world and act

differently. Women cannot express their ideas fully by

using the language created by men.

MAN MADE LANGUAGEBy DALE SPENDER in 1980

• Mr vs Mrs• Man vs Woman • Human = man• Oh man!• Fight like a man!• “Trang Nguyen” Competition in

Vietnamese history

3 ASSUMPTIONS of MGTWomen perceive the world differently from men because of women’s and men’s different experience and activities rooted in the division of labor.

3 ASSUMPTIONS of MGTMen are politically dominate and suppress women’s ideas from public support

3 ASSUMPTIONS of MGTWomen must convert their unique ideas, experiences, and meanings into male language in order to be heard.

Hilary Clinton United States Secretary of State

Yingluck ShinawatraThailand Prime Minister

In what ways women are muted?

The masculine power to name

experience

Men as the gatekeepers of communication

Women’s truth into men’s talk

The masculine power to name experience

1

Group activity• Bad words to describe a man.

Ex: Womanizer, sucker, …• Bad words to describe a woman.

Ex: Slut, whore, …

English language describes sexually promiscuous individuals

Women More than 200 wordsSlut, whore, hooker,

prostitute, trollop, harlot, mistress, Jezebel, hussy,

concubine, streetwalker, easy lay, …

Men22 words

Playboy, stud, rake, gigolo, player, Don Juan, lothario,

womanizer

Men as the gatekeeper of communication

2

Examples:

• Rituals Wedding ceremony• Ideologies and stereotypesVietnamese community example• Sports• Parenthood• Sexual harassment

Women’s truth into men’s talk

3

Resistance of women

• To build trust from the public, women have to talk like a man

• Changing the man-made linguistic system that keeps women “in their place”

STRENGTHS

• New understanding of people• Clarification of value• Aesthetic appeal• Discussion and agreement in community• Reform of society

WEAKNESSES

• Men are sometimes classified as the “muted group”.

• MGT doesn’t explain all interactions that are possible to obtain goals in workplace.

Application in Communication

• Advertising: the role of women in society• Film: bias gender in Walt Disney movies• Music

Reference List• Griffin, E A 2009, A first look at communication theory, 7th edn, McGraw-Hill

Higher Education, Boston.• Baer, J 1998, ‘Muted group theory by Cheris Kramarae’, Colorado, viewed 4

April 2011, <http://www.colorado.edu/communication/meta-discourses/Papers/App_Papers/Baer.htm>.

• Bryner J 2007, ‘Why Men Dominate Math and Science Fields’, Live Science, viewed 10 August 2011, <http://www.livescience.com/1927-men-dominate-math-science-fields.html>.

• ‘Chinsu Garlic and Chili Soy Sauce’, Youtube 2010, 27 May, viewed 10 August 2011, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBUTkeujF3Q&feature=related>.

• ‘Gender & Disney’, Youtube 2008, December 2008, viewed 10 August 2011, < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8O8p0Ac1Rg>.

• Greenslade R 2011, ‘Men still dominate national newspaper journalism’, Guardian, viewed 10 August 2011, <http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2011/mar/04/women-national-newspapers>.

Reference List• ‘Miss Independent with lyrics’, Youtube 2009, 4 July, viewed 10 August 2011,

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZD3zCUzYcg&feature=related>.• ‘Omo Tet 2006 Telepaphy ‘, Youtube 2010, 25 May, viewed 10 August 2011,

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVRr4JHhrC4>.• Rooney B 2011, ‘Men Dominate U.K Political Blogosphere’, The Wall Street

Journal, <http://blogs.wsj.com/tech-europe/2011/07/15/men-dominate-u-k-political-blogosphere/>

• Senner, L 1999, ‘Muted group theory’, Colorado, viewed 9 April 2011, < http://www.colorado.edu/communication/meta-discourses/Papers/App_Papers/Senner.htm>.

• Spender D 1998, Men Made Language, 2nd edn, Pandora, Indiana University. • Women’s Day: women beat men, any day! Superwomen ads, Youtube 2011, 8

March, viewed 10 August 2011, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJBjmUuC-4Y>