English as a Second Language

This thesis explores language and gender on Facebook. A discussion board on a popular Facebook group is the focus of the study. 19 topic threads from the discussion board were examined. The first theme that I identified in the data is that males made disruptive statements in discussions. Next, males were more likely than females to attack other participants through the use of sarcasm and name calling, often using harsh and aggressive name calling. Although some females utilized personal attacks in discussions, they were more likely to criticize another participant‟s grammar. Females also used grammar corrections to facilitate relationships. Additionally, female participation was low in discussion threads that contained many arguments and attacks. Females seem to be more engaged in topics where arguments did not take place such as topics devoted to game board discussions where conflict was low. Limitations of the research are discussed and suggestions for future research are offered