muted group theory

The final theory in the text is muted group theory developed in the communication discipline by Cheris Kramarae. Edwin Ardener, a social anthropologist, first suggested the idea of women as a muted group. His coworker, Shirley Ardener, proposed that muted groups present their ideas so they can be understood in public discourse. Kramarae argues that the public-private linguistic distinction exaggerates gender differences.

Kramarae analyzed the metaphors used to describe the internet. She observes that the information superhighway metaphor ignored the start-up costs of internet access that most women around the world can't afford. The new frontier metaphor suggests an anarchistic atmosphere with which women are uncomfortable. In contrast, the democracy metaphor for the internet suggests that the internet's anonymity can encourage women to express themselves. Moreover, the global community metaphor for the internet holds the possibility of women being able to share their concerns with each other.

In her interview with Em Griffin, Cheris Kramarae stated that muted group theory is based on the idea that language does not serve all speakers equally. In Kramarae's critique of the two-culture hypothesis to explain women's and men's interactions, she argues in the interview that the hypothesis ignores issues of exploitation and manipulation. During the interview, Griffin asks Kramarae if there should be men's studies university programs as there are women's studies programs. Kramarae responds that universities themselves are men's studies programs.

~ Professor Cyborg