Purpose: I want the audience to understand just what muted group theory is, and some examples of its

relevance in real life. Introduction: I. Have you ever felt like nobody cares what you have to say, and because of this you become more introverted and shy in sharing your thoughts? A. I will be discussing the history of Muted Group Theory B. what Muted Group Theory is C. and some examples of it is real life Body: II. I know you are dying to hear the history behind muted group theory, so I wont keep you waiting any longer. A. Developed by Edwin and Shirley Ardener who were cultural anthropologists. They were doing fieldwork and reading the observations of others. B. Found it was very uncommon to read the account of a female informant. 1. could have been because most of anthropologists were male, and felt more comfortable talking to other males 2. could be males were more eager to speak C. They looked into this, and came up with.. III.The theory states that some groups in a society do not get their say because the dominant groups way of thinking, speaking, and acting is the center stage. A. History of the relationship between male and females 1. males historically have been the moneymakers 2. physically bigger 3. influence of religion and the church B. Females feel they have to speak like males in order to be listened to 1. females are more relational 2. peaceful, willing to compromise 3. comes across as weak C. Research shows a definite difference in speech patterns between males and females, with males being more assertive, self-confident, and believable (Wall 28) IV.Before looking at many examples of the relevancy of muted group theory in our lives, two things need to be discussed.

A. First, the theory was greeted by an anxious audience in the 70s and 80s. Some question if the theory should even be discussed nowadays, with the advancement of equality for women in the workplace, political arena, and other areas. B. Second, it should be noted the theory states that muted groups find ways to be themselves (females talking by themselves), and rebellion of some sort. 1. women commonly viewed as gossipers because of their communication habits when they are with just themselves 2. used to be mass movement of feminism, not so common (or needed) today V.Tendencies in language are tinged with male domination. All of these pit men as dominant. A. when get married, take males last name B. when addressing an envelope C. not so much in English, but use the masculine form when identifying a group D. our Queen was attending a race meeting in Australia, a television commentator said that this would particularly please Australians because they have only three things on their minds: drink, horses, and women. We see in this trivial joke a common kind of assumption: Australians unqualified are male the male is representative or essential Australian (Ardener 52). E. As already mentioned, the amount of derogatory words for females is astronomically larger than those for males. This is from the dominant groups (males) control of the forming and shaping of language. Conclusion: Recap all major points. Maybe during all this talk on muted group theory you have been noticing many similarities to your own life. If you are a female feeling repressed, prove it to those chauvist men that what you have to say is worth listening to, and if they dont think so, they arent worth the breath you use in speaking a sentence their way. If you are male, think about if you have been treating a female, or females, in a disrespectful, inferior way. This is wrong, and not biblical. .
Bibliography:

Ardener, Shirley. Ardeners Muted Groups: The genesis of an idea and its praxis. Women and Language 28 (2005): 50-54. 9 Sept. 2008. Communications and Mass Media Complete. Buswell Memorial Library, Wheaton. 9 Sept. 2008. Keyword: Ardener. Kramarae, Cheris. Muted Group Theory and Communication: Asking Dangerous Questions. Women and Language 28 (2005): 55-61. 9 Sept. 2008. Communications and Mass Media Complete. Buswell Memorial Library, Wheaton. 9 Sept. 2008. Keyword: Muted Group Theory. Wall, Celia J., and Pat Gannon-Leary. A Sentence Made by Men: Muted Group Theory Revisited. European Journal of Womens Studies 6 (1999): 21-29. 9 Sept. 2008. Article First. Buswell Memorial Library, Wheaton. 9 Sept. 2008. Keyword: Muted Group Theory.