Matter of style

Abstract

The construction of sex/gender as a dynamic set of values in communicative interaction is a matter of ever growing interest, superseding traditional approaches based on socio-structural and/or biological factors. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the statistical patterning of linguistic choices across genders and the meaningful use of such elements in particular contexts. The main hypothesis is that large-scale patterns of variation are tightly connected to the dynamics of specific interaction: speakers are to some extent aware of the typical association of linguistic variants with social groups and interactional domains. In turn, their creative stylistic choices can help maintain or alter such associations. The variable expression of several Spanish subject pronouns is quantitatively and qualitatively analysed. The results indicate that male discourse usually shows higher rates of expressed subject pronouns, while women are more inclined to omission. But there are also differences in their respective preference for particular grammatical subjects, with men promoting the use of the singular first person and women that of the second one. A relationship is suggested between gendered styles and the discursive–cognitive continuum from objectivity to subjectivity, this being projected on a wide range of communicative possibilities.