186557-Article Text-474345-1-10-20190517
186557-Article Text-474345-1-10-20190517
186557-Article Text-474345-1-10-20190517
And
Abstract
Mixed gendered interaction is typically characterized by power relations between the two
sexes. Recent researches in conversation have demonstrated that a male speaker is more
domineering than a female speaker (Kings, 2011; Hall, 2003; Burr, 2003; Tannen, 2003;
Kendall, 2003). Nigeria, just as most African societies, is patriarchal. This implies that
the Nigerian society is practically male controlled. The trace of male domination could be
realized in the participants‘ use of language. Having set this as a stereotype estranges any
woman who attempts to dominate a conversation. Adopting Sacks, Schegloff, and
Jefferson‘s conversational analysis as its theoretical framework, this research analyzed a
mixed gendered conversation of two couples in an edition of the popular Nigerian TV
drama series, Super Story. The data was obtained by reproducing and recording the audio
aspect of the drama. They were then transcribed based on the transcript convention of
conversational analysis. Using qualitative analysis, the research identified gesture, high
pitch and interruption as indicators of power control. The research concluded by drawing
attention to some culturally specified applications in Nigeria that could cause
misinterpretations and miscommunications in a mixed gendered conversation.
Introduction
The relationship between Language and Power is one of the focus of scholars in recent
researches on conversation. According to Itakura (2001: 1860) as quoted in Kings (2011: 207),
everyday conversation is rarely symmetrical. This means that one speaker always takes control
over the other. In this case, long turns which practically block access to the floor for other
potential speakers are used to exercise interactional dominance (King 2011: 205, Herman
1998:21). This is typical in mixed gendered interaction particularly in Africa. Amouzou (2006:
97) posits that most African societies are patriarchal. What this implies is that men generally
dominate or as Amouzou defines patriarchy as, ―…that form of social organization in which
males exercise power...‖ This is not far-fetched in the use of language. To support Amouzou‘s
claim, Hall (2003: 353) acknowledges that in most researches, findings in mixed talks indicate
that men tend to be more domineering than women as women's divergent speech patterns appear
to be a byproduct of male dominance.
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Adenuga’s Super
This Story therefore, tends to analyze conversation between two couples (Osas and
research,
Lara; Temisan and Charles) in Wale Adenuga‘s Super Story, “Because you loved me.” The
research identifies the gendered norms on which speakers are portraying, the ground against
which individual choices must be interpreted. Hence with the use of Conversational Analysis
(CA), an approach that originated from Ethnomethodology, the research gives an analysis of the
conversation in mixed gendered Nigerian Discourse with the aim of examining the influence of
power and gender in mixed gendered interaction.
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socialized and valued – and disparities in their abilities to access power resources and key roles
in society- create an imbalance of power within relationships between the two genders. As a
result, men and boys are raised to see themselves as breadwinners, heads of the household,
household guards and security providers: viewed as naturally powerful, enjoy violence and as
being brought up to fight. On the other hand, women and girls in general are expected to be
submissive or supportive, dress modestly, devote themselves to looking after the family and care
for their communities. Considering the stereotyped roles, the research finding is that there is
greater variation in norms around women‘s roles than around those of men.
However, Lakoff ( 2003: 161) sees the need to challenge the ancient platitude (as he
calls it) that men are more comfortable with power than women; that it is right and natural for
men to seek and hold power and for a woman to do so is strange to a given speech society,
marking her as unfeminine and dangerous. This implies a society where women are excluded to
some extent. In order to demonstrate the discrepancy in power and language between men and
women, Lakoff further cites and compares some empirical findings about the distribution of
turns between males and females with the traditional stereotypes about who does more talking
than the other. Hence, floor-holding and topic control are associated with power in the gendered
conversation. Hence, men are more in control of talk than women. Spender (1980) in his findings
also backs up Lakoff‘s findings to ascertain that typically men hold the floor 80 per cent of the
time. Other researches show that men generate most of the successful topics in mixed-group
conversation: women's attempts are ignored by both men and other women in the group (Leet-
Pellegrini, 1980). Furthermore, according to Lakoff (2003), Zimmerman and West (1975), one
way in which men maintain their conversational dominance is by violative interruption of
women. This research therefore, is a follow up and a contribution to already existing literature
with the aim of studying the conversation between two speakers of different sexes in a Nigerian
discourse and the view of observing the power differences in such conversation, determining
what could have triggered male constant dominance in conversation.
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This phenomenon suggests that in any given instant, either the current speaker or the
listener has the ―right‖ to speak but not both (Wilson and Zimmerman, 1986). In terms of Sacks
et al (1974) model, this indicates that option (c) cannot be collided with option (b) so far as the
current speaker does not appear to compete with the listener for the right to speak. Each
participant must observe (not necessarily consciously) whose option it is to speak and exercise
his or her own option only at the appropriate moment.
Data Collection
The data used for this research are collected from Wole Adenuga‘s drama series, Super Story:
‗Because I loved you.‘ In this drama series, we studied the conversation between the couples
Lara and Osas, Temisan and Charles. The conversation is championed mostly by verbal energy.
The level of verbal energy determines the level of power possessed by the speakers. Fairclough
(2001) explains here that power in discourse has to do with powerful participants controlling and
constraining the contributions of non-powerful participants. This includes limiting or preventing
another speakers contribution so as to establish oneself as a more powerful speaker. In this case,
to have control over language is to have control over the construction and preservation of that
reality, whether it be true or illusion (King, 2011: 207). Therefore, the conversation in our
research is preoccupied with struggle for power and dominance through participants‘ control of
turn-taking.
Analysis
For the purpose of this research, two extracts are selected from the drama series. The extracts
consist of a Conversational Discourse (CD) between Temisan and Charles (CD1) and another
which involves conversation between Lara and Osas (CD2). In CD1, Temisan and Charles are
engaged to get married. However, Temisan has an offer to work in one of the country‘s famous
companies at Abuja. She takes the offer against her fiancé‘s wish and what follows becomes an
argument that tests the strength of their relationship.
Following Itakura‘s description as quoted by Kings (2011:208), conversational
dominance is ‗a multi-dimensional construct consisting of sequential, participatory and
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Adenuga’s Super
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dimensions‘. In CD1, Charles can be seen to exercise quantitative conversational
dominance in the extract. Going by quantitative measures in terms of the number of words
spoken by each participant, out of the total 242 words of the extract, Charles spoke 159 words, or
65.75% while Temisan spoke 83 words. Although there is a huge discrepancy in the number of
words spoken by Charles and by Temisan, the numbers of turns they take are roughly equal:
Charles (8) and Temisan (7). While an equal number of turns suggests that the power between
participants is similarly equal, examination of the turn-allocation strategies and the texture of the
turns reveals how quantitative dominance is central to Charles‘s determination to be in control of
the conversation. The difference in turn-size becomes obvious. In turn 107, after Charles
authoritatively and explicitly insists that Temisan should reject her job offer. Charles also tries,
and succeeds complicating issues for Temisan when he places comparism between their
relationship and Temisan‘s new job thereby increasing the amount and strength of the threats to
Temisan‘s positive face, that is, her positive self-image (Brown and Levinson: 1978:87). The
increase in face threatening acts results in an increase in turn length and thus contributes to her
quantitative dominance. In addition, he uses face threatening acts (Brown and Levinson 1978) as
well as directives. Directive speech acts in this case, ‗are attempts…by the speaker to get the
hearer to do something' (Searle 1976:11). As such, they tend to ‗come from more powerful
speakers‘ (Fairclough 2001:39) and can contribute towards conversational dominance.
In CD2, the couple, Lara and Osas argues over Jimi‘s fate. Jimi is Lara‘s biological son
and Osas, his step father refuses to accept him in his household insisting that Jimi should be
taken to his biological father. This puts Lara in dilemma for she hopes on her husband to accept
her son.
In the conversation, Osas assumes dominance in quantitative measures. Out of 194
spoken words, Osas speaks 157 while Lara makes only 64 words. Osas uses high tone to
suppress Lara and as such is the dominant speaker. This is to say that there is great power
disparity between Osas and Lara. Considering the prior string of exchanges, Osas assumes
control of the conversation by asking the speaker questions after questions, that is, the use of
interrogation mode (this suggests interview style). His use of prosodic marker (in this case high
pitch) determines also where his main area of interest lies. He determines how the interpretive
frame is negotiated.
The inequality is enhanced by the established culturally bound rules governing the
interactional situation. Hence, Osas‘s choice of level tone implies his awareness of his
stereotyped role which is definitely the cultural norm. Any deviation from this convention
attracts negative evaluation and a face threatening act. Notwithstanding the threats to the positive
face of Lara, she tries to maintain the face of her husband. Hence Osas‘s scheme of dominance is
not only interlocutory but also by selecting a high pitch fall at the turn end to indicate finality.
Meanwhile Lara expresses submissiveness by selecting normal or low pitch fall at the turn
initial. This is usually the case in husband/wife interaction, parent/ child interaction and
elder/youth interaction in a typical African setting.
Generally, our analysis has shown that turn-taking and turn-management are central to
Lara and Osas conversation. Osas‘s struggles for power dominance is a success as he maintains
a great level of turn management and that comprises framework by which their respective levels
of conversational dominance can be measured. Osas exploits violate (which include interruption
and face threatening) the turn-taking system in his attempts to attain conversational dominance
and power. His long turn and, his avoidance of TRPs and treatment of Lara‘s speech give him
complete control (quantitative, sequential and participatory) over what and how much is said; he
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limits Lara‘s verbal contributions and thereby renders her verbally, as well as physically,
powerless. The result is that Lara maintains her status quo as the loyal wife of Osas as she
understands what the norm demands of a marriageable woman; hence she remains submissive.
On the other hand, considering the conversation between Temisan and Charles, a close
observation suggests that both struggle for power even though they avoid to violate the turn-
taking system. Though they have almost equal number of turns which also shows equality in
speech dominance, the texture of the turns shows that Charles uses quantitative dominance and
prosodic cues (such as high pitch) as his strategy for prowess. However, Temisan‘s physical
reaction (gesture) to Charles‘ threat which shows positive impoliteness of turn which is her
strategy to stay in control of the situation as she refuses to succumb to his authority. The result is
that Temisan is unable to maintain her relationship with Charles since she refuses to endorse
what has been the stereotyped norm in society.
Conclusion
This research attempted to present relevant contributions to the already existing literature. First,
it explores the area of mixed gendered conversational discourse by overtly analyzing power
differences in the conversation between people of opposite sex. Embedded in Conversational
Analysis, as its theoretical framework, the research demonstrates how the male speakers
dominate in the conversation. Having been an existing stereotype, estranges any woman who
attempts to hold power in a conversation and this surmounts to consequences in the side of the
woman. Hence the research adds to our knowledge, some culturally specified applications in
Nigeria that could cause misinterpretations and miscommunications in a mixed gendered
conversation.
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FILMIOGRAPHY
Because you loved me.
Super Story.
Producer: Wale Adenuga
Director: Antar Laniyan
Year of production: 2008
EPISODE 1 SCENE 6
101. Charles: Abuja (2.2)
Don‘t tell me you agreed to it (1.3)
What are you thinking Temisan (1.5)
What happens when we get married you‘re gonna be shuttling Abuja to Lagos or what
102. Temisan: it‘s not a bad ideas
103. Charles: I‘m not joking Temisan (1.5)
104. Temisan: The wedding can wait … can‘t it (2.8)
105. Charles: for how long (1.0)
106. Temisan: I don‘t know
Maybe:::: ≠
107. Charles: ≠ NO Temisan (1.1)
I‘m not ready to wait Temisan (1.0)
There are no certainties in life (men)
you just have to call it off (3.5)
108. Temisan: this is r::eally very important to me (2.6)
It‘s an opportunity I cann:ot miss (0.5)
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EPISODE 2 SCENE 4
165. Osas: there is absolutely no way that boy will come to stay in this house (1.8)
166. Lara: what do you expect me to do:: (2.0)
eh
Where do I take him (.)
167. Osas: take the boy to his fa:ther (1.6)
168. Lara: you know he has nothing to offer Jimi (.)
169. Osas: but that is not my business (1.5)
I will not labour to cater for other man‘s son (.)
While HE does nothing (1.3)
I warned you from the onset to take the boy to his fa:ther (0.8)
170. Lara: how can I do that Osas (1.5)
you know the way he i::s (1.6)
•h Osas please don‘t make this too hard for me now you know I just lost my mother
please (6.2)
171. Osas: Look Lara (1.7)
I‘m very sorry (1.1) about the issue of your mother (0.7)
and I pro:mise and I will stand by you (0.7) all through the burial (1.5)
but I am not shifting grounds for this issue of your son (3.4)
the boy cannot stay::: in this house (0.7) period (1.5)
after the burial (.) take the boy back to his father.
SCENE TWO
451. Charles: so this is my living room as you can see (0.7)
452. Temisan: I see (0.5) I like it
453. Charles: now let me show you the rest of the house (1.0)
454. Temisan: okay
455. Charles: there‘s my kitchen (0.5)
456. Temisan; kitchen (gesture)
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457. Charles: well I must warn you sweetheart that e::m (.)
not too much is happening there this days you know bachelor‘s tide you know(0.5)
458. Temisan: wa::ow
459. Charles: do you like it (.)
460. Temisan: mhmm (.)
461. Charles: now come, ◦find out◦ (gesture)
so how‘re you finding the house (.)
462. Temisan: beautiful you have a lovely place here
463. Charles: two can put together you know
464. Temisan: I know
465. Charles: yeah now this guest bathroom (.)
466. Temisan: okay
467. Charles: and this here is the ironing room and some other room but (.)
I haven‘t decorated it yet I (.)
I hardly have people come from ≠
468. Temisan: ≠ it‘s alright (.)
469. Charles: okay so finally (.)
so (2.4) voilá so this my lady::, is the master‘s bedroom (.)
470. Temisan: ◦waow◦
Char::les (.)
This is, beautiful (1.7)
and you have good taste (1.0)
471. Charles: thank you (2.0)
but you know I always had em (1.0)
good taste in everything (11.3)
Temisa::n (6.5)
when I saw you again from the elevator I (0.5)
I almost went crazy with excitement (3.0)
I was, thinking of so:: many things at the same time (1.4)
at first I wasn‘t sure it was you (1.5)
h then I didn‘t want to lose site of you (1.1)
my heart was (.) pounding fast (2.5)
472. Temisan: oh Charles:::
473. Charles: and was wishing to heaven that you were still single (1.0)
474. Temisan: uhn
475. Charles: I mean (.) one of the chances (XXXX) once‘n a while ( XXXX)but (.)
I knew I had to take it (3.1)
I didn‘t know what I‘d have done, if it was (1.1)
if you have turned out otherwise (2.1)
476. Temisan: charles (2.1)
I know we‘re both trying hard to avoid the topic of our breakup (1.1)
but I (.) I just don‘t ≠
477. Charles: ≠ shh::: (2.5) Temisa::n (1.2)
that is not important anymore (.)
h (0.5) nothing matters (6.0)
we‘re together again Temisan (.)
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Adenuga’s
EPISODESuper Story FIVE
4 SCENE
531. Esa: welcome dad (0.5)
532. Osas: where‘s your mum (2.5)
533. Lara: welcome dear (1.8)
534. Osas: what did that vagabond son of yours come to do in this house again (0.9)
ANSWER ME WOMAN
540. Osas: o::ver my dead body will that boy come back to this house again (.)
do you hear me (.)
541. Lara: Osas please don‘t talk like that (.)
542. Osas: and that is final (.)
Lemota (.)
go into his room (.)
pack all his things, and put them behind the house (.)
for him to pick up when he comes back (1.5)
DO YOU HEAR WHAT I SAID (.)
543. Lemota: yes dad (3.6)
544. Osas: non sense (3.5)
545. Lara: Osas please (1.2)
please I beg you Osas please (1.0)
546. Osas: I don‘t ever, want to see that boy in this house again
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