Sample Data

SAMPLE DATA

Stage 1:  In my sample data I expect to find the male participants being the powerful participants, leaving the female the less powerful participant. This is mainly because one of the males is in charge of the conversation, so I expect male dominance to occur. Although I expect to see the use of uncertainty features from both the less powerful male and female participants, I expect to see more used by the female, as she is the single female and may be less confident, therefore uses more uncertainty features in the female’s speech. I also expect to find the males to interrupt the female more often, supporting Zimmerman and West’s theory.

Stage 2: From analysing my sample data, I have found support for my hypothesis that the male participants are the more dominant figures throughout the conversation, whilst the female takes a backseat. Evidence to prove this is that the conversation is mainly between the males, with the female having little input. Also found from my analysis, is that the female seems to be more uncertain in speech than the males. Evidence to support the hypothesis I retrospectively mentioned, is shown below:

“F: I think in this whole competition (1) if you sit back and remain quiet and under the radar (1) people assume that they’re safe (1) and I’ve been bold (.) and…”

With numerous pauses in just a short sentence, the female seems uncertain of what to say, whether she cannot think or is worried she will say something wrong. With the male participants, they tend to talk simultaneously, battling for power. This leads on to proving my third hypothesis, that men tend to interrupt more than women. As just mentioned, both males interrupt each other in the battle for power, whereas the female seems scared to interrupt them; this may possibly be because she is outnumbered.

The Apprentice Language and Power Transcript

The Apprentice Language and Power

 

S – Simon            F – Female          SAS – Sir Alan Sugar

S: I was the project manager (.) I lost money (1) but the reason I lost money (1) and I could of made a fortune in that shopping centre /this morning/

F:                                                                            /Yep       /

S: if we’d /started this morning because I’m good/ at

SAS:             /could of (1) could of (1) could of yeah/ could’v should’v would’v yeah (.) but you didn’t (.) right

S: no sir /Alan I didn’t/

SAS:        /no you didn’t/ (.) yeah

[3 seconds of silence]

SAS: I think I’ve heard enough (.) for me to make a very very difficult decision here today (.)

F: Sir Alan may I say one more thing please

[2 seconds of silence]

SAS: if you insist

F: I think in this whole competition (1) if you sit back and remain quiet and under the radar (1) people assume that they’re safe (1) and I’ve been bold (.) and I know I’m /vocal and that puts me

SAS:                                                                                                                                       /oh you’ve been bold alright

F: and /it puts me in a vulner/

SAS:      /don’t worry about that/

F: in a vulnerable position (.) I’m sorry I’ve sat /here/

SAS:                                                                                   /trouble/ is you know (1.5) you never back off (0.5) you know what (.) I’ll tell you what I’m gonna do with you (.) I’m getting sick and tired of you (.) denying all this (.) ya know (1) I’m sick of looking at you at the moment (.) get out that door [points to door] (2) get back to the bloody house (0.5) okay (.) get back to the house (.) yeah because you’re going to be the next team leader (.) I’m sick of looking at you at the moment (.) get out that door [points to door] (0.5) and get back to the house

[10 second silence as F leaves the room]

SAS: Simon (0.5) if I asked you to build me a wall (0.5) you’d build me a wall (.) I’m pretty sure of it (.) if I asked you to dig me a trench (0.5) I think you’d dig me a trench (.) I am not that sure (1) that if I gave you my (1) investment portfolio (.) you’d be able to run that very well (0.5) I’m sorry my friend (.) I think you’re (0.5) a bit out your depth here (0.5) and with regret (1) you’re fired [points at Simon]

[1.5 seconds of silence]

S: thank you for a wonderful opportunity [stands up from chair and walks towards door] (2) thank you Sir Alan (1) [opens door] goodbye.

How to collect reliable data...

How to collect reliable data…

 

Editor’s letters in women’s and men’s magazines

To gather reliable data from female and male magazines, a variety of sources (magazines) are needed, as many magazines have a specific purpose or are aimed at a certain audience. By gathering a collection of magazines, there is no possibility of magazine biased happening or data being too similar. To increase the reliability of data of magazine data, I would collect magazines over time. By collecting magazine data just from a certain period, for example, Christmas or New Year, the data found would be very similar, most likely sharing similar context and covering similar topics.

 

Brian Cox’s Tweets

To gather reliable data on Brian Cox’s tweets you would have to follow his account for a long period of time. Gathering data from his tweets over a short period of time can lead to biased results. Also, the tweets may only be about current affairs, if something drastic has happened, the data would suggest Brian only tweets about this, when in fact, the subject of his tweets may vary. Brian’s tweets must also be collected at a variety of times to be reliable. Collecting data from what he tweets from 7am-10am may not be representative of what he tweets. Data at this time may be happy and bright, to start the day off well, whereas tweets from 7pm – 10pm may be more reflective of the days happenings.

Analysis of data

Analysis of data

What data you chose and why?

The data I chose to transcribe was a conversation from The Apprentice. The reason for my selection is that the piece is very heated, with all those involved battling for power. A variety of techniques are used throughout to acquire power, such as interrupting, raising voices and causing unequal encounters. Also, the data consists of both genders and from this I am able to analyse if gender has an effect on power: if different techniques are used or how both genders approach the situation.

What you found out and what theory you linked it to?

From the outset, it was clear Sir Alan Sugar was the powerful participant, the speaker with higher status in context, and who is able to impose a degree of power. This would leave Simon and the female as less powerful participants, both speakers with less status in the context, and are constrained to the powerful participants (Sir Alan Sugar). Deborah Tannen stated that an attempt to gain control of a situation can either be called an interruption or a competitive overlap. This can be found regularly in the piece, used often by Sir Alan Sugar. This acted as reassurance of my other finding, that Sir Alan Sugar was the powerful participant. Another theorist I can link my findings to is Robin Lackoff. Publishing an influential account on women’s language, Lackoff found women speak less frequently in powerful situations. My data does suggest this, as the female, who is not named, only pops up during a period of silence. This may be to possibly avoid an unequal encounter both males, especially Sir Alan Sugar; an encounter she knew she would have lost, and does lose after questioning him later in the data.

What other data you could choose to go with it or replace it with to make an investigation?

If I was to select another piece of data to go with this piece or to replace it, it would have to be very similar to this piece I have analysed. Similarities in terms of theorists and their theories is important, simply as then techniques obtained from analysing one piece of data can be useful in analysing the second piece. This can further my investigation as comparisons can be made. Also to produce an investigation I will need another piece or a replacement piece of data of similar purpose. The data I have analysed is language and power, therefore my next piece of data should be language and power. This, again, can allow comparisons to be made and techniques to be shared throughout pieces. However, a piece of data with the complete opposite purpose can become beneficial to my investigation as I may be able to interlink both purposes between pieces.

What would you call the investigation?

I would call my investigation, “Language and Power, techniques, and gender effects”. I would look in depth at powerful techniques, like the some I have already discovered by analysing this data. I would also like to investigate how gender effects power, again, which I have mentioned before in this piece, where the female is cautious of creating an unequal encounter with a male.