WHO TAKES THE FLOOR? GENDERED TURN-TAKING IN UNIVERSITY SEMINARS
Keywords:
Gender, Turn-Taking, University Seminars, Conversation AnalysisAbstract
This study investigates male vs. female patterns of turn-taking in university seminars. The research is motivated by the need to see how the students of the university portray themselves and speak in the seminars according to their gender. It aims to show the differences in their speech during turn-taking, how their gender shapes participation and their interaction during the university seminars. Data is collected from listening to the recorded seminars of five different universities in which there are mixed-gender participants. The study employs conversation analysis in order to see different patterns such as turn-taking, adjacency pairs, repair, overlaps, backchanneling, openings, closings, etc. Findings reveal that male participants show their domination through their discussion by interrupting other participants in the seminar while female participants use supportive strategies and wait for their turn allocation. These results indicate that turn-taking among male and female participants reflects the dominance in the educational context as well. The study concludes that gender-based contexts can create differences and gender influences conversation among students suggesting that balanced participation between male and female students is essential for a smooth seminar.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Saliha Rizwan, Dr. Naveed Nawaz Ahmad, Prof. Dr. Hafiz Ahmad Bilal, Prof. Dr. Ijaz Asghar (Author)
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