Women, Men and Academic Discourse / by Steve Whitmore
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Women, Men, and Academic Discourse Steve Whitmore B.A., Notre Dame University, 1982 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS (EDUCATION) in the Faculty of Education @ Steve Whitmore 1991 SIMON F'RASER UNIVERSITY December 1991 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. APPROVAL Name: Stephen Scott Whitmore Degree: Master of Arts Title of Thesis: Women, Men, and Academic Discourse Examining Committee: Chak Mike Manley-Casimir - Richard M. Coe Senior Supervisor Jaap Tuinman Professor Celia Haig-Brown Assistant Professor Faculty of Education Simon Fraser University External Examiner Date Approved +?= PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENSE I hereby grant to Simon Fraser University the right to lend my thesis, project or extended essay (the title of which is shown below) to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. I further agree that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by me or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Title of Thesis/Project/Extended Essay WOMEN, MEN, AND ACADEMIC DISCOURSE Author: ---- - (signature) Stewhen Scott Whitmore Abstract Women, Men, and Academic Discourse Steve Whitmore Simon Fraser University In the context of studies outlining differences in the psychosocial development of men and women, this thesis examines the evidence for differences between their writings. An analysis of the literature finds some differences in lexical choice, text organization, and content. In general, these differences in writing parallel the psychosocial differences between men and women outlined by various researchers, namely contrasting epistemological orientations which differ in their respective emphasis upon the values of autonomy and connection. However, the evidence for writing differences between men and women is at times contradictory, partly because many studies are restricted to the examination of isolated textual characteristics and partly because most studies are based upon the biological construct of sex (male and female) rather than upon the social construct of gender (masculine and feminine). These problems could be redressed by studies examining a range of writing characteristics as they correlate with differing genders and contrasting models of persuasion. In the context of different theoretical constructs for teaching composition, this thesis also considers the degree to which a conflict may exist between the writing of some women and academic discourse. Although composition theory has undergone a dramatic shift over the past two and a half decades, the revidence indicates that orthodox practices which stress mechanical correctness, traditional organization, 1and an adversarial tone persist in many composition classrooms. Two cases are presented which highlight this conflict between theory and practice. It is argued that the potential for conflict between the writing of some women and what is taught as academic discourse is heightened in composition classes which emphasize traditional concerns. To redress this problem, it is proposed that composition instructors employ collaborative writing pedagogics as well as encouraging the development and use of innovative discourse forms where appropriate (while simultaneously helping students recognize how traditional forms function constructively in academia). Dedication I dedicate this work to all the women who have so kindly shared their thoughts, feelings, and experiences with me during my time as a crisis line volunteer. Although these women must, of necessity, remain nameless in this thesis, their stories underlie my motives for studying gender differences in writing. More than anything else, their circumstances have persuaded me that all of us - women and men, teachers and students - must work together, in whatever ways we can, to eliminate the inequities which all too obviously exist in our society. To these women I offer a heartfelt thanks for all that they have taught me. They must not be silenced. Acknowledgements So many pwple have contributed in various ways to the on-going genesis of this project that it is impossible to mention everyone. I apologize in advance for failing to mention all the pwple who have contributed in one way or another. Thank you, nevertheless. In particular, I would like to thank the members of my supervisory committee, professors Richard Coe and Jaap Tuinman, whose patience and encouragement have helped to keep me on track both with my studies and with this thesis. Their suggestions and criticisms have profoundly influenced my work. I would also like to thank professors Don Wilson, Gordon Turner, Mylar Wilkinson, and Jim Howard of the Department of Languages and Literature at Selkirk College for permitting me to undertake a pilot study in their classes during the Autumn of 1988. And, of course, I would be remiss if I failed to thank the students at Selkirk College who took part in that study. I also offer a collective thank you to Bill Stewart, Eileen Lennox, Susan Stevenson, and Doug Girling who have provided their support over the past three years in a variety of ways. Finally, I would like to thank my wife, Pat Baron, for her patience while I struggled with the various drafts and revisions of this thesis. Her criticisms and observations have been valuable in more ways than I can count. Table of Contents .. Approval 11 Abstract iii Dedication iv Acknowledgements v .. List of Figures and Tables Vlll Exordium ix Chapter One: Psychosocial Correlates of Sex Differences in Writing Polemical Introduction The Psychological Context of Sex Differences Perspectives from Developmental Psychology Perspectives from Cognitive Psychology Chapter One Summary Notes for Chapter One Chapter Two: A Meta-Analysis of Sex Differences in Writing Methodology Academic Writing as Gendered Studies of Sex Differences and Writing Differences in Lexico/Grammatic Features Differences in Rhetorical/Discourse Features Differences in Content/Ideological Features Chapter Two Summary Notes for Chapter Two Chapter Three: L'Ecriture F6miniie & Academic Writing in Conflict Sexual Inequities in Academe Form and Authority The Canadian Context: Two Cases UBC: The Standardized Writer Douglas College: Readers and Writers as Adversaries Chapter Three Summary Notes for Chapter Three Chapter Four: Testing Hypotheses about Gendered Writing General Considerations Theoretical Framework Experimental Design Plan of Analysis Reliability Levels Experimental Sample Controlling Confounds Independent Variables Psychological Gender Models of Persuasion Dependent Variables The Analysis of Style The Analysis of Form The Analysis of Substance Chapter Four Summary Notes for Chapter Four Chapter Five: Pedagogical Implications of Sex Differences in Writing The Need for Change Changing Theories about Teaching Writing The Formalist Approach The Expressionist Approach The New Rhetorical Approach Unchanging Practices for Teaching Writing Alternative Practices for Teaching Writing Alternative Discourse Forms Chapter Five Summary Notes for Chapter Five Peroration Appendices Appendix A: Sex Differences and the Psychoanalytic Tradition Appendix B: Course Syllabi (S. Whitmore) Appendix C: Grading Criteria for UBC's English 100 Appendix D: Marking Guidelines for UBC's English Composition Test Appendix E: Course Syllabus (Instructor Y) Appendix F: Course Syllabus (Instructor X) Appendix G: Models for Classical and Rogerian Persuasion Appendix H: Sample Analyses of Nominal and Verbal Styles Appendix I: Sample Analysis Using the Discourse Matrix Appendix J: Sample Analyses of "Autonomous" and "Connected" Texts Appendix K: Excerpts from the Composition 11 Curriculum Guide References vii List of Figures Figure 1: Muted and Dominant Groups Theory Figure I1 : Discourse Matrix of Sample Text List of Tables Table 1: Articles Categorized by Sex of Author and Published in Major Composition Journals from 1982 through 1989 Table 2: Required Subjects Per Cell 3 x2 MANOVA Table H 1: Token Ratios for Nominal Style Table H2: Token Ratios for Verbal Style Table 11: Idea Strings Table 12: Node Strings Table 13: Calculated Ratios Table J1: Autonomy/Connection Ratio for "Male Myth" Table J2: Autonomy/Connection Ratio for "Female Myth" Exordium mefirst strategy lies at the very heart of feminist theory, and is best illustrated in my own opening paragraph. I began not with a thesis, the traditional opening for this form of discourse, but with a self-disclosure. It is a very typical example of systematic self-disclosure in that its function is to situate the informant/speaker/writer/teacheras a subject engaged in a process with respect to a subject matter, rather than as an authority who has brought closure to by mastering the material. Naturally, the presentation of oneself as a subject, a person, is designed to engage students as equals insofar as they too are engaging in a process which will only be meaningful if they can Pnd its connection with their own lives as subjects in the world. Acknowledging the dialectical relationship between the self and the material also legitimizes personal experiences for intellectual