Language, Gender, and Culture Essay

In our world there are so people that are being overrated, from their skin color, to how they talk or to where they came from or the way they walk, everything from what people wear to where people come from and their ethnic background. These people are looked down on from the rest of society for just being themselves and doing only what they know to do. For some, it’s wrong if others do not act just like them and they put them down for it. Stereotypes can be described someone of a certain race, religion, gender, nationality, or other groups. You can see that language, gender, and culture (class and race) does relate to power because men’s have more power than women’s, the way you speak, your education, income, and many more.

In the article “His Politeness Is Her Powerlessness” by Deborah Tannen, Tannen main point of the article was to show that no matter what happens, women’s are mostly seen as powerless and men’s can be powerful. In the article, Tannen says, “A man might ask woman, ‘Will you please go to the store?’… ‘Gee, I really need a few things from the store, but I’m so tires’” (Tannen 120). Tannen proves that when woman’s is being or ask indirectly, her style is covert, and negative quality. Woman’s feel like they don’t have right to ask indirectly. This relates to power because gender plays big role especially for men’s. If men’s speaks or ask indirectly, then they are seen in being polite, high status, and prove that they have more power then women. But, when it comes to women’s direct way of asking or speaking, the men’s sees the women’s style as clumsy and rude. The men’s always sees women’s style as negative, powerless and in lower status than them.

In the article, “Transformation of Silence into Language and Action” by Audre Lorde, Lorde’s illustrates the main idea of breaking silence and standing up for yourself, also make your fear into you strength and power. Lorde illustrates that you should break your silence and feel the power of language, “And, of course, I am afraid – you could hear it my voice – because the transformation of silence into language and action is an act of self-revelation and that always seems fraught with danger… because there’s always that one little piece inside of you that wants to be spoken out, and if you keep ignoring it, it gets madder and madder and hotter and hotter, and if you don’t speak it out one day it will just up and punch you in the mouth” (Lorde 118). Lorde proves that strong voice can change someone’s life for the better. It is always good to stand up for yourself rather than being silence. This relates to power because if you stand up for yourself and speak out and break your silence then you have power and people will see you as powerful. Compare to if you don’t break your silence then you are powerless and people will see you as powerless.

In the article “Prelude: Barbershop” by Vershawn Ashanti Young, Young illustrates that the way you speak and act in your community is the way you perceive in community. You can see that prove that in the quote “My identity, however, was atypical, alienating me from my neighbors and hood and excluding me from the representation of ‘authentic’ ghetto life. Thus I didn’t have to fight to get out of the ghetto. I was kicked out” (Young 125). This quote does prove the main idea right because Young is saying that in his life he didn’t have to fight to get out of the ghetto life, he was basically he was kicked out of it. Compare to the main characters from the book “There Are No Children Here” where the main character have to fight the ghetto in order to get out of the ghetto community. This relates to power because gender and power plays big role. If you don’t speak or act in certain way then you are basically not consider part of the community.

In the article “The Color Of Family Ties: Race, Class, Gender, And Extended Family Involvement” by Naomi Gerstel and Natalia Sarkisian, Sarkisian illustrates that minority forms stronger and are more supportive to their families both in economic financial and emotional support. Sarkisian proves this in the article, “… Blacks and Latinos/as are as likely as White…to be supportive family members…. Blacks and Latinos/as relatives are most likely than Whites to be supportive: give each other help with household work and child care, as well as with providing rides and running errands” (Sarkisian). Sarkisian shows that how economic issues by helping your family members can bring the family so close and really bonded to each other. This relates to power because of the race, culture. Where white people with higher education, high income are the one who has power and are seen powerful. Compare to as the minority, Blacks, Latinos/as with low education, less income are the one who has less power and are seen as powerless.