Language and Gender: the Construction and Reproduction of Gender in Dagbanli
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University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh LANGUAGE AND GENDER: THE CONSTRUCTION AND REPRODUCTION OF GENDER IN DAGBANLI SALIFU NANTOGMA ALHASSAN A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (AFRICAN STUDIES) INSTITUTE OF AFRICAN STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF GHANA JUNE 2012 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh DECLARATION I hereby declare that this thesis is the result of my own research under the supervision and guidance of my team of supervisors. With the exception of sources which I have used or cited and which have been acknowledged by means of complete references, I confirm that this work is my own original work, and that it has not been submitted in part or as a whole to any institution for an award of a degree. Salifu Nantogma Alhassan (Candidate) SUPERVISORS 1. Prof. Mary Esther Kropp-Dakubu (Lead Supervisor) 2. Prof. Esi Sutherland-Addy 3. Dr. George Akanlig-Pare i University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh Dedication This work is dedicated to Abukari, Wumpaga, Wumpini, Wumya and Tiyumba ii University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS One can hardly go through a work of this nature successfully without the assistance, support and encouragement of others. From the beginning to the end of this project, I have received an abundance of all these from numerous people and I can only acknowledge their invaluable help with this short note of my appreciation. First, I express my profound gratitude to my supervisors, Prof. Mary Esther Kropp-Dakubu and Prof. Esi Sutherland-Addy, both of the Institute of African Studies (IAS) and Dr. George Akanlig-Pare of the Department of Linguistics for their guidance, criticisms and suggestions. If there is any merit in this work it is a result of the experience and insights they brought to bear on it; the lapses are entirely mine. My thanks go next to my wife and my children. I thank them for their love and their patient endurance of my long periods of absence from home in pursuit of this goal. Our elders say „If a child stays long in the bush and comes home with a ripe shea-nut, it is good‟. Your endurance gave me the strength and I am coming home with a „ripe shea-nut‟. To Alhaji Hussein I. Ibrahim of the Islamic University College and his family, I say Jazaakum Allahu khairan, (Allah reward you with blessings) for your company and support as my hosts in Accra. My gratitude also goes to Mr. Ibrahim K. Antwi, Librarian, University for Development Studies, Prof. A. K. Awedoba and Dr. Osman Alhassan both of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, for their interest and encouragement. I am equally grateful to Dr. Salifu Abdulai of the Tamale Polytechnic who proofread the first draft and suggested improvements in the Dagbanli script. iii University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh My field assistants, Fuseini Nantogma (Yendi), Alhassan Salifu (Savelugu), Adam Seidu (Tolon) and Naana Sibri (Tamale) deserve my commendations and thanks. My key informants gave me several hours of their valuable time and have enriched my knowledge of Dagbanli. I thank them all, especially Naa Tia Sulemana of Zoosali, Alhaj Adam Yogu, Messrs S. S. Zakaria, R. M. Yahaya, and A. Mburdiba, Luŋ Mahamadu of Tolon, Afa Tafirli, Mba Alasani of Kogni, Nyohini Kpanalana, Madams Shetu of Gbirimani, Zeinab Ahmed and Hajia Fuseina. Last but not least, I am grateful to the GETFUND for providing me a research grant through the University for Development Studies, Tamale to enable me complete this project. iv University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh TABLE OF CONTENTS Page number Declaration..............................................................................................................i Dedication..............................................................................................................ii Acknowledgements...............................................................................................iii Dagbanli script......................................................................................................xi Abbreviations.......................................................................................................xii Abstract...............................................................................................................xiii Chapter Page Number Chapter 1: Introduction.....................................................................................1 1.0. Background..............................................................................................1 1.1. Male-female language.............................................................................3 1.2. Language and Gender..............................................................................4 1.3. Language and Gender in African contexts..............................................6 1.4. Problem Statement...................................................................................7 1.5. Research Questions...............................................................................10 1.6. Goal.......................................................................................................10 1.7. Objectives..............................................................................................10 1.8. Relevance of the Study..........................................................................11 1.9. Organization of the Report....................................................................13 Chapter 2: Theoretical Framework.................................................................15 2.0. Introduction...........................................................................................15 2.1. Theories of gender.................................................................................15 2.1.1. Socialization Theory..............................................................................16 2.1.2. Social Construction Theory...................................................................17 2.1.3. Post-modernist theories of gender.........................................................19 v University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh 2.1.4. Some African Perspectives on Gender Theory.....................................20 2.2. Approaches to the Study of Language and Gender...............................23 2.2.1. Dominance Framework.........................................................................23 2.2.2. Difference (Two-Cultures Framework).................................................24 2.2.3. Interactional Model of Language..........................................................25 2.2.4. Working Definitions..............................................................................25 2.2.4.1. Sex.........................................................................................................25 2.2.4.2. Gender...................................................................................................26 2.3. Literature Review..................................................................................27 2.3.1. Literature on and in Dagbanli................................................................27 2.3.2. Studies on Language and gender...........................................................29 2.3.2.1. Unequal Access to Speech.....................................................................29 2.3.2.2. Gender in African proverbs...................................................................29 2.3.2.3. Other Linguistic forms of Stereotyping.................................................32 2.3.2.4. Linguistic Taboo and Gender................................................................32 2.3.2.5. Gender in linguistic interaction.............................................................33 2.3.2.6. Gender in the use of Address terms.......................................................35 2.4. The Dagomba and their Language........................................................35 2.5. Dagbon..................................................................................................36 2.5.1. Political and Social Structure................................................................36 2.5.2. The Household.......................................................................................38 2.6. The Dagbanli Language........................................................................39 2.6.1. Norms of Male-Female Language use..................................................40 2.6.2. Summary................................................................................................42 Chapter 3: Research Design and Method of Data Collection........................43 3.0. Introduction...........................................................................................43 3.1. Design of the Research..........................................................................43 3.2. The Data................................................................................................44 3.2.1. Vocabulary and set phrases...................................................................44 3.2.2. Proverbs................................................................................................45 vi University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh 3.2.3. Conversation..........................................................................................46 3.2.4. Non-linguistic data................................................................................47