Language and Gender in Disney : A Study of Male and Female Language in Walt Disney Movies

This study aims to explore what values the language in Walt Disney movies reflects in order to clarify what type of female role models the movies present young girls with. Four movies were selected for research and specific characters, male and female, were included in the study. Attention was paid to Interruptions, Commands, Insults, Opposition, Politeness, Compliments, Insecurity and Empty Adjectives, Intensifiers and Female Exclamations. The findings did not reveal any particular consistency regarding linguistic gender differentiations: some linguistic aspects certainly give evidence of repression of women, but this is also the case for certain male characters. What all of the female characters share, however, is a language which displays intense resistance when men attempt to control them − they are thus capable and independent role models. One additional finding revealed that Walt Disney movies generally contain a far greater number of male characters than female.Validerat; 20120222 (anonymous