Deck 33: Muted Group Theory

Question 1

Kramarae found that women were notable mostly by their ________ in cartoons.

A) subservience
B) negative stereotype
C) absence
D) family orientation

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Kramarae starts with the assumption that "women perceive the world differently from men because of women's and men's different:

A) functions in reproduction."
B) experience and activities rooted in the division of labor."
C) needs and wants."
D) beliefs and cognitive structures."

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Kramarae lists a variety of back-channel routes that women use to discuss their experiences-diaries, journals, letters, oral histories, and other forms of discourse that women use. She labels these outlets the female ________ that runs beneath the surface of male orthodoxy.

A) "sub-masculine"
B) "minding"
C) "sub-version"
D) "anti-masculine"

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The ultimate goal of muted group theory is to:

A) transcend the "normal" world and place women in a special place.
B) reduce the status of men and increase that of women.
C) return to an earlier era of stable gender roles.
D) change the man-made linguistic system that keeps women "in their place."

Question 5

In the Feminist Dictionary, the term used for the human story as told by women about women is known as:

A) gossip.
B) herstory.
C) sub-version.
D) female stream.

Question 6

Which of the following words is included in the Kramarae and Treichler dictionary and illustrates a major achievement in feminist communication scholarship more than any other single entry in the dictionary?

A) glass ceiling
B) date rape
C) sexual harassment
D) pornography

Question 7

Cheris Kramarae is convinced that "males have more difficulty than females in understanding what members of the other gender mean." She suggests that this happens because:

A) of the biological differences between the sexes.
B) men have not made the effort to find out.
C) women do not share their experiences with men.
D) men tend to overthink about what women want, think, or feel.

Question 8

In the context of muted group theory, which of the following statements is true about the Internet?

A) It enables women to remake language with new words.
B) It eliminates gatekeeping.
C) It ensures that all algorithmic gatekeepers are females.
D) It works on the principle that computers are gender-biased.

Question 9

Kramarae discovered that compared with the simple, forceful statements voiced by cartoon males, the words assigned to female characters were:

A) vague.
B) flowery.
C) peppered with adjectives like "nice" and "pretty."
D) All of the answers are correct.

Question 10

Muted group theory has been criticized because it:

A) relies too heavily on empirical data.
B) has not adequately considered issues of power and dominance.
C) has ignored the issue of sexual harassment.
D) is difficult to prove the assumption that men are trying to control women.

Question 11

Although Kramarae and Tannen disagree on many issues, they both believe that men are trying to control women.

Question 12

Kramarae is certain that the language of a particular culture does not serve all its speakers equally.

Question 13

Kramarae thinks advances in technology create new spaces where women can make their voices heard to some extent.

Question 14

The idea of women as a "muted group" was first proposed by Kramarae and received highly negative responses from the male-dominated intellectual circles.

Question 15

Along with his Oxford co-worker and wife Shirley Ardener, Edwin Ardener began to realize that mutedness means that low-power groups are completely silent.

Question 16

Cheris Kramarae believes that men's dominant position in society limits women's access to communication in public spaces.

Question 17

Kramarae acknowledges that men accept rather than ridicule or ignore women's statements about the problems of being heard in a male-dominated society.

Question 18

Man-made language "aids in defining, depreciating, and excluding women."

Question 19

________ refers to people belonging to low-power groups who must change their language when communicating publicly-thus, their ideas are often overlooked; for example, women.

Question 20

In the context of muted group theory, ________ is defined as traditional mainstream mass media, which is controlled by men.

Question 21

Can it be argued that women are less heard simply because they have less desire to speak? What are the consequences of making such an assertion?

Question 22

"The problem facing women, according to Kramarae, is that further discussions about how the world works never take place on a level playing field." Discuss the statement.

Question 23

How does Kramarae support her argument that men dominate language and society? Do you find her argument persuasive?

Question 24

Textbooks are important modes of communication. Griffin indicates that his textbook is susceptible to analysis and critique using muted group theory. Do you believe this is true? What evidence would you marshal to support your position?

Question 25

Are the arguments made by Kramarae about the linguistic domination of women by men equally applicable to the arena of racial justice? Are African Americans, Hispanics, and other minority groups oppressed by the language use of Americans of European descent? Discuss the degree to which the comparison can be made.

Question 26

Why is sexual harassment such an important issue in today's society? In Kramarae's terms, have women made progress in this area in the last twenty years? Do you agree?

Question 27

What current linguistic practices on your campus could be said to perpetuate male dominance?

Question 28

Discussing the importance of language in his analysis of symbolic interactionism (Chapter 5), Griffin mentions, "The book of Genesis in the Bible states that Adam's first job was to name the animals-the dawn of civilization." What would Kramarae have to say about this point?

Question 29

Imagine that Julia Wood, Cheris Kramarae, and Deborah Tannen meet at a fundraising event for NOW (The National Organization for Women). What might they have to say to one another? What might their dialogue be like?

Question 30

What is the connection between the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis and muted group theory?

Question 31

How would Kramarae respond to Geertz and Pacanowsky's and Aristotle's interest in metaphor?

Question 32

Compare the media ecology of McLuhan and his theoretical descendants and Katz position on the uses and gratifications of media with Kramarae's view of the Internet and electronic interactivity.