Negotiated Meanings of Gender & Ethnicity

Language contains much more than the mere meaning of the words conveyed. The manner in which it is spoken, to whom, and in what situation, go far beyond that. Language can be used as a source of power, as a form of self-expression, as a cultural identity, to express a position, to control a situation. Much can be read into spoken language that is not contained in the words uttered. One word, spoken in a particular way, can change the entire mood of a situation. Not understanding the "language" of another person goes far beyond not understanding the words they are saying. Language can identify not only nationality, but power and status within societies, ethnic origins not evident in the sounds spoken, but inherent in the structure of the language used. Language is much more than "just words."

Benjamin, O. and Sullivan, O. (1999). Relational resources, gender consciousness and possibilities of change in marital relationships. Sociol. Rev., 47, pp. 794-820.

This paper investigates the possibilities of change in marital relationships, and argues that this involves examining the interplay of gender consciousness, relational resources, and material circumstances in their concrete, interactional manifestations. Its attempt to address this interface is grounded in the idea that understanding gender relations necessarily involves both institutional and interactional dimensions. The authors point out that most research h