The 3D's: The 3 Theories About Language and Gender

Dominance: Zimmerman and West (1987)

This is the theory that in mixed-sex conversations men are more likely to interrupt than women, or in other words, to dominate the  conversation.

• Positions of power: Competitive and  cooperative
• "Men are assertive of their power, and women are friendly and sociable"

Difference: Deborah Tannen (1990)

The difference theory states that the male and female races are culturally different, which reflects on their language and the way they speak to people that are either of the same or of a different gender.

• "Men's conversation is message-oriented, based upon communicating information"
• "Women's conversation is much more important for building relationships and strengthening social links"

Deficit: Robin Lakoff (1975)

The deficit theory hones in on the idea that one language in inferior to the other, or in the case of gender-specific language, the way that men or women talk in a variety of situations.

• "Male language is stronger, more prestigious and more desirable"
• "Women are socialised into behaving like 'ladies'"