Muted Group Theory of Cheris Kramarae Reporters: Charmaine Carpio Rachele Ivy Jayme Anne Karmela Eucogco
Muted Group TheoryofCheris Kramarae
Reporters:Charmaine CarpioRachele Ivy JaymeAnne Karmela Eucogco
“The language of a particular culture does
not serve all its speakers equally, for
not all speakers contribute in an equal
fashion to its formulation. Women
(and members of other subordinate groups) are not as free or as
able as men are to say what they wish, when and where they wish,
because the words and the norms for their use have been formulated
by the dominant group, men.”
Muted Groups: Black
Holes in Someone
Else’s Universe
Edwin Ardener
The Masculine Power to
Name Experienc
e
“women perceive the
world differently from men because of
women’s and men’s
different experience
and activities rooted in the
division of labor. ”
Catty, bitchy, shrill, cackling,
gossipy, chitchat, sharp-tongued, etc.
Playboy, stud, rake, gigolo, Don
Juan, lothario,
womanizer
Slut, whore, hooker,
prostitute, trollop,
mistress, harlot, Jezebel,
hussy, concubine,
streetwalker, strumpet, easy
lay, and the like.
Men as the
Gatekeepers of
communication
Malestream expression
The Unfulfilled Promise of
the Internet
Four Common Metaphors show
why Women Continue to be Muted and the
Promise of Gender Equality
has yet to be Fulfilled
1.Information superhighway
2.The New Frontier
3.Democracy
4.A Global Community
Women’s Truth into
Men’s Talk: The
Problem of Translation
Speaking out in
Private: Networkin
g with Women
Speaking Out in
Public: A Feminist
Dictionary
Appearance – a woman’s appearance is her work uniform… a woman’s concern with her appearance is not a result of brainwashing; it is a reaction to necessity (a Redstockings Sister)
Cuckold - the husband of an unfaithful wife. The wife of an unfaithful husband is just called a wife. (Cheris Kramarae)
Depression – a psychiatric label that… hides the social fact of the housewife’s loneliness, low self-esteem and work dissatisfaction (Ann Oakley)
Doll – a toy playmate given to or made by children. Some adult males continue their childhood labeling adult female companions “dolls” (Cheris Kramarae)
Family man – refers to a man who shows more concern with members of the family than is normal. There is no label for family woman , since that would be heard as redundancy. (Cheris Kramarae)
Herstory – the human story told by women and about women (Anne Forfreedom)
One of the boys – means NOT one of the girls (Cheris Kramarae)
Parenthood – a condition in which often brings dramatic changes to new mothers – “loss of job, income and status; severing of networks and social contacts; and adjustments to being a housewife”. Most new fathers do not report similar social dislocations. (Lorna McKee and Margaret O’ Brien)
Pornography – Pornography is the theory, rape is the practice. (Andrea Dworkin)
Questions
1. Can you apply
Kramarae’s views in today’s
setting?
2. Can you say that media
played a part in setting up the
muted status of women in the society? How?
Thank you.
Charmaine CarpioRachele Ivy JaymeAnne Karmela Eucogco