Muted Group Theory and Communication
Cheris Kramarae is the main theorist behind the Muted Group Theory for communication studies. She was a former professor and director of Women’s Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has also had many visiting professor and lecturer appointments in China, The Netherlands, England, South Africa, and Germany. Kramarae has also served as the international dean at the International Women’s University. Her main idea of the Muted Group Theory is communication was created by men and allows them to have an advantage over women. Women must constantly play within the rules of a man’s language, never having their own words to express their thoughts. Kramarae states, “The language of a particular culture does not serve all its speakers equally, for not all speakers contribute in an equal fashion to its formulation. Women (and members of other subordinate groups) are not as free or as able as men are to say what they wish, because the words and the norms for their use have been formulated by the dominant group, men (p. 454)." She also believes that men and women are very different and thus women will view the world differently from men. Not only do women see the world differently, but they also have a disadvantage in society. Kramerae believes that communication between men and women are not on an even level. This is because language was created by men. This makes it easier for men to communicate.
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