LANGUAGE AND POWER IN AN ACADEMIC CONTEXT - THE EFFECTS OF STATUS, ETHNICITY, AND SEX

The use of language strategies to express power varies according to th e status, sex, and ethnicity of the interactants, A total of 50 same-s ex dyads in unconstrained conversation were videotaped: ID each of Aus tralian student with Australian student, Australian student with ethni c Chinese overseas student, Chinese student with Chinese student, Aust ralian student with Australian academic staff member (lecturer), and C hinese student with Australian lecturer: Results indicated that studen ts shared management of the interaction with other students but that l ecturers controlled management of interactions with students. Although both male and female lecturers controlled the discourse, however; men did so particularly with nonverbal behaviour whereas women controlled the interactions with discourse management and interpersonal control. Female students in mixed-status interactions behaved more similarly t o males than they did in same-status interactions. Lecturers and male Australian students controlled interactions with Chinese students more than they did with Australian students.