Using speech stereotypes to assert identity and affinity with a minority group

Abstract

Perception-based studies on female speech have demonstrated clear stereotypes associating acoustic qualities and sexual orientation (e.g., Camp 2009, Munson et al. 2005, Pierrehumbert et al. 2004). However, production studies on female speech are rare and inconclusive: though male speakers have been shown to vary their use of stereotypically gay speech according to context (Podesva 2011), female speakers have not been studied. Likewise, there has been little consideration of how other personal attributes can intersect with sexual orientation to affect use of stereotypical speech. This study addresses the following for female speakers: (1) how personal attributes interact with sexual orientation in phonetic variation, (2) why straight or bisexual speakers might take on features of stereotypically lesbian speech, and (3) how these personal factors affect speech in different contexts and the resulting inter-speaker and inter-context variation. Speakers were recorded in both reading and interview speech modes. ANOVA of phonetic variation revealed that for straight and bisexual speakers, their “familiarity with Queer culture” was the most influential attribute on both speech modes. However, there was no such effect for lesbian speakers. I argue that speakers used stereotypical lesbian speech patterns to express outgroup affinity.Perception-based studies on female speech have demonstrated clear stereotypes associating acoustic qualities and sexual orientation (e.g., Camp 2009, Munson et al. 2005, Pierrehumbert et al. 2004). However, production studies on female speech are rare and inconclusive: though male speakers have been shown to vary their use of stereotypically gay speech according to context (Podesva 2011), female speakers have not been studied. Likewise, there has been little consideration of how other personal attributes can intersect with sexual orientation to affect use of stereotypical speech. This study addresses the following for female speakers: (1) how personal attributes interact with sexual orientation in phonetic variation, (2) why straight or bisexual speakers might take on features of stereotypically lesbian speech, and (3) how these personal factors affect speech in different contexts and the resulting inter-speaker and inter-context variation. Speakers were recorded in both reading and interview speech modes...