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ETD Abstract Container

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Speaking like Her, Him, and Hir: The Search for a Transwoman’s Speech Community

Wright, Ryan D.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1334748949

Abstract Details

2012, Master of Arts, University of Toledo, College of Arts and Sciences.
This thesis examines past linguistic and anthropological research associated with transwomen and speech community theory in order to provide new theoretical framework to the notion of an English-speaking transwoman speech community. In addition to reviewing research completed by well-known linguists and anthropologists, such as Don Kulick, William Leap, and Rusty Barrett, leading transwomen writers’ work was also considered as to provide a well-balanced outlook on such a topic that is as equally significant for academia as societies unassociated with academia. After reviewing research written on the topic of both transwomen and language and gender, the only linguistic theory that could possibly unite transwomen on the basis of their speech behavior is queer linguistics. However, the notion of “queer” has become a conflicted term among transwomen and sometimes creates divisions on the basis of its acceptance as an appropriate identifier of their population. Since the only current linguistic theory is not well-supported, the search for a transwoman’s speech community is unproductive. Rather, more ethnographic research of transwomen is necessary in order to determine the linguistic varieties found within the English-speaking population. This theoretical study is meant to provide scholars a practical framework for future studies.
Melinda Reichelt (Committee Chair)
Sharon Barnes (Committee Member)
Joel Lipman (Committee Member)
55 p.
Sociolinguistics
transwomen; speech community; language and gender

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Wright, R. D. (2012). Speaking like Her, Him, and Hir: The Search for a Transwoman’s Speech Community [Master's thesis, University of Toledo]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1334748949

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Wright, Ryan. Speaking like Her, Him, and Hir: The Search for a Transwoman’s Speech Community. 2012. University of Toledo, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1334748949.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Wright, Ryan. "Speaking like Her, Him, and Hir: The Search for a Transwoman’s Speech Community." Master's thesis, University of Toledo, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1334748949

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

toledo1334748949
905
© 2012, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Toledo and OhioLINK.