Communicative Behavior via Gender Identity (Based on the English language “Love Stories”)

Abstract

The focus of the paper concerns the specific features of characters’ communicative behavior via gender identity. This study deals with two types of correlation and interaction between real and fictional text-creating subjects: the gender identity of the author and the image created in the literary text.
 The research procedure is based on the discourse analysis. The study proves the influence of psychological and socio-cultural factors on speech organization. Due to the combination of content- and elements of intent-analysis the author’s pragmatic intentions in the communicative process are identified. The main findings of this paper are based on the theoretical basis of gender-specified communicative behavior study and the statistical data analysis.
 As a result of the research the specific features of gender communicative style are defined. Besides it is claimed, that taboo words differentiate basic features of male and female speech. The further analysis of non-literary vocabulary proves that gender stereotypes in female-written novels determine the choice of language means for the creation of an ideal male and female image: neglect of moral rules (domination of taboo words provoking conflict and rivalry) or compliance of communicative norms (a rare usage of derogatory vocabulary, communication aimed at cooperation and interaction). Gender differentiation of taboo lexicon in male-written novels argues the conventional stereotype of using taboos mainly by men. The research paper represents the differences in male and female speech, connected with the phenomenon of gender stylization. It proves that style imitation of stereotypical features in the opposite-sex speech occurs in two directions: female authors imitate the masculine communicative style of characters by the domination of taboo words, whereas male authors imitate the feminine communicative style by softening expressions of both-sex characters.
 Thus, in conclusion the study reveals imitating and identifying features of the author’s natural gender identity, such as domination of taboo words like “damn” and “hell” in opposite-sex communication in male-written novels unlike communicative behavior of male and female characters in the novels written by women.