My Hypothesis
My hypothesis is:
An investigation in the difference between the language of adverts to women and
adverts to men (in products- focused on ‘bathroom’ products). In my
investigation, I will try to find out the different types of power in the
language that tries to sell the products differently to each gender of
audience. I am interested in the different types of persuasion and adjectives
that will be used to describe the product and the lexis of how the product and
the company describes and makes the audience feel.
Data – What (&
how much) have you selected already?
So far I have collected 674 words worth of transcribed data.
The transcriptions are of television commercials that are for specific
cosmetics or ‘bathroom’ products. I have tried to make it fair by trying to
collect transcriptions of commercials that are aimed towards men/women to sell
their shower gel, perfume or deodorant product. I have also collected some data
that only a certain sex can be targets towards due to the product, such as make
up for women and aftershave for men.
Methodology – What
Processes are you using to make sure that your data is comparable and
reliable? (A good way of thinking about this is to make notes about the
types of data you are ignoring)-
When transcribing my data from various YouTube videos, I am
making sure that they are all real and official by only choosing advertisements
that I have already seen on TV or that I am familiar with. I am also using
television commercials that are recent within the past couple of years, mostly
all 2014 adverts. By doing this and not looking at adverts that were made in
for example, 2002, means that my data will be reliable and up to date, as the
language of advertising and language and gender could have changed/probably has
changed since the end of 20th century/beginning of the 21st
century. By collecting data of the same subject, promoting the same product but
changing the variable of the target audience, means that I can make my
investigation comparable. By comparing the language of a shower gel advert for
women and a shower gel advert for men means that I can compare and contrast the
two types of language used within the adverts, depending on who the target
audience is.
Aims, Interests
& Hypothesis – What do you consider to be interesting and important
about the types of language you are investigating? What are you aiming/
expecting to find?
I consider language and gender and the power within the
language and gender very interesting, especially how that it is all highlighted
and will be studied in this specific hypothesis. I am expecting to find a difference in the
language between the adverts for women and the adverts for men. For example,
the women’s advertisements will include Fairclough’s theory, synthetic
personalisation (e.g. L’Oreal “You’re worth it”), whereas the male targeted
advertisements will be encouraging how to be a man, or that ‘real’ men use
their products. I will also look at Brown and Levinson’s versus theory, for
example Feelings vs. Advice.
Theories /
Linguistic Concepts – In what ways might your investigation relate to
ideas that are significant to language study? Answer in detail.
My investigation might relate to the ideas that are
significant to language study, such as the power of language to
manipulate/influence us (Fairclough and others), due to the synthetic
personalisation. It might also include the significance of language and gender.
The fact that women need to be targeted with a different type of language
compared to men’s language could be related to Brown and Levinson’s theory. Men
tend to not need to be told that they look beautiful, good or happy today. The
uses of adjectives are different depending on what gender the advert is aimed
towards.
Analysis –
Identify at least 3 linguistic frameworks that you expect to provide you with
interesting observations. Make this as specific by naming linguistic features
(at least 5) that you expect to find. Explain why these features should be significant.
Frameworks that I expect to provide me with interesting
observations when looking into this investigation will be:
-
Semantics and lexis- I will look at the lexical
field and the difference between the two different target audiences. I will
expect to find a more feminine lexis that is self-fulfilling and sugar coated
for women, and a strong, hard-working, masculine lexis which may include lexis
related to manual work to make men seem strong.
-
Pragmatics – will look at how the context and
subtext will imply meaning, and how there are different meanings intended
depending on who the advert is talking to/aimed at.
-
Grammar - I will look at the type of language
that has been used within the adverts to the specific men and women audience,
and how the sentences are structured to give full effect and meaning.
These features should be
significant as they will show how the difference in language are adapted and
used to be applied for the specific target audience. It will highlight how the
type of language and lexis that is used will be the main seller of the product,
and how the use of language and persuasion/power will have the effect over the
audience.
