Gender differences in spoken Japanese and English

Abstract

This paper presents data collected on the differences between the ways in which men and women speak in both Japanese and English, differences in the conversational strategies adopted by both genders, and differences in how boys and girls are raised and treated throughout their lives. The data are examined and discussed in relation to each other and in their implications for society as a whole. In the end it is concluded that gender differences do exist in both Japanese and English, but that they are not nearly as pervasive as is often assumed.