CARIMAC Times 2016: The JREAM Edition Journalists Reviving Awareness of what Matters | Page 125

Professor Silvia Kouwenberg
Photo by Tori Haber

But he contradicted himself by stating that he
could not decide whether language can convey
sexuality.

For males, Dr. Anderson shared, that access
is dependent on the level of manliness that it
affords.

Observed, his hand and head movements were
almost robotic rather than fluid — as in the
‘wringing of the neck’ he described earlier.

“…The hyper-masculine men of Jamaica’s ghettos
have fewer resources available to prove their
manhood than their middle-class counterparts …”

Languages, theories and identities

The current cultural context suggests that
males, particularly those who are from or are
associated with lower-income communities,
see the English Language as accessible to a
lesser extent than females. This is manifested
in the education system.

According to Professor Kouwenberg, the languages
also operate in a certain gender context. An
integral part of that context is how accessible
both male and female children view either.

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