Linguistic Differences and Correctness of Speech - Essay Example

According to Johnson and Tannen, behavioral differences across genders affect speech presentation. Men and women have different roles in the families and in society too. Therefore, women have a tendency of talking about family and social issues as opposed to men, who tend to spend more time talking about politics and work-related issues. These differences, according to Johnson and Tennen (p.53), come out as power differences. Men are considered superior to women since they are involved and often discuss more important issues concerning work and society. Women, on the other hand, are considered less powerful since they discuss family and personal issues. Men take the center stage in the conversation. They seem to initiate and control the discourse of any conversation. Women will join in the conversation when they are allowed or when it is necessary to do so. These differences in conversations are seen as power differences.

With the increasing need for observing gender and political sensitivity, the choice of words becomes necessary. According to Kakutani, there exists a politically correct language that is used to avoid political bias. Some of the most common biased words include master, fellow, king, a lord among others (p. 517). Although these words represent a social position that can be occupied by gender, they are male-oriented. Some of these words can be substituted with unbiased words such as monarch. In a family setting, gender-biased words such as battered spouse can be substituted with battered wife to remove gender bias. This is seen in everyday social settings. For example, politicians are required to be careful with their language to avoid racially sensitive words such as nigger.

On the other hand, doublespeak entails selective use of language to avoid the use of very strong language. By using doublespeak, the speakers can convey their message without mentioning specific words. According to Lutz (p. 152), grain-consuming animals, organoleptic, and economically non-affluent are some of the examples of doublespeak. Doublespeak is common with politicians, who present arguments about an issue without putting themselves in a compromising situation.

Politically correct and double-speak are quite similar but also different in some ways. Both techniques seek to substitute certain words for more appealing words. While politically correct words seek to avoid bias, doublespeak seeks to free the speaker from the blame of taking sides in communication. While politically correct words aim at replacing politically biased words with unbiased words, doublespeak makes the conversation more general. Doublespeak aims at conveying information without tackling the issue with direct words.