A study of how voice pitches are influenced by cultural gender factors
List of Authors
  • Yuko Tomoto

Keyword
  • voice pitch, cultural expectations, gender norms

Abstract
  • The purpose of this research is to explore the assumption that women change their voice pitches depending on the language they speak. Scholars have already established that bilingual and multilingual speakers change the way they talk and show emotions according to which language they are using. The author has observed that some bilingual female speakers of Japanese and English employ higher voice pitches when they speak Japanese compared with when they speak English. In order to see the influence of the language and cultural-based gender factors on speakers, in-depth interviews were conducted with 29 Japanese-English speakers ranging in ages from 27 to 74. Though the investigation was preliminary, the results suggest that female speakers are influenced both consciously and unconsciously by the language they use and the corresponding culture, especially according to the standardized gender norms of the society. At the same time, the findings theorize that speakers are also highly affected by the interlocutors with whom they speak.

Reference
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