Abstract: Researching on gender differences in conversations in American TV series is a new vision and an efficient way. Based on the study in sociolinguistics, this thesis analyses  gender differences in using conversation strategies in Desperate Housewives, a popular American TV series. It selects 100 groups of conversations in season one as the corpus of the study and explores gender differences in using conversation strategies in specific contexts. This thesis mainly focuses on gender differences in strategies related to the Cooperative Principle, politeness strategies, face saving strategies. The result of the study shows: in using the strategies related to Cooperative Principle, females tend to use silence strategy and lying strategy to violate the maxim of quantity and quality; males tend to use avoidance strategy to violate the maxim of relation; in using bald-on-record strategies, males tend to use interruptions and expletives strategies while females tend to use negation strategy; in using redressive strategies, females use more apology strategy while males use more minimal response strategy; females tend to use more face saving strategies than males. Females often use indirect strategies and hedge strategy to save others’ faces while males often make face threatening acts by using direct strategies.

Key words: gender difference; conversation strategies; Desperate Housewives

CONTENTS

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction1

2. Literature Review ..1

2.1 Studies of Language and Gender abroad and home.1

2.2Conversation Strategies Used in Desperate Housewives2

3. Research on Gender Differences in Using Conversation Strategies in Desperate Housewives.4

3.1 Research Method.4

3.2 Data Collection.4

3.3 Analysis and Discussion.5

3.3.1 Gender Differences in Using Strategies Related to Cooperative Principle.5

3.3.2 Gender Differences in Using Politeness Strategies.8

  3.3.2.1Bald-on-record Strategies..8

  3.3.2.2 Redressive Strategies10

3.3.3 Gender Differences in Using Face Saving Strategies.11

4. Conclusion12

Bibliography

Acknowledgements