Tough talk: Indirectness and gender in requests for information

Differences between male and female speakers have been explored by linguist s without their arriving at any general agreement. Female speakers are view ed differently by different theorists. The questions that women have of the mselves and others have also been viewed differently. In this discussion, I examine a particular register, interviewing, in which female speakers empl oy questions or requests for information both to get information and mainta in conversation. I examine differences between male and female interviewers in topical and political interviews on radio and television. The female in terviewers in my study employ more indirect requests for information than d o the male interviewers; however, since indirect requests for information c an be provocative as well as polite, use of provocative forms constitutes a n enabling strategy. While the male interviewers favour indirect forms that foster attunement, the female interviewers favour indirect forms that enga ge their interviewees analytically. The female interviewers employ indirect requests for information to ask 'tough' questions, maintain a line of ques tioning, and maintain their position as speakers who have power. (C) 2001 E lsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.