MUTED GROUP THEORY

Muted Group Theory presents the idea that concerning power and how it is exploited against people. According to Muted Group Theory, men and women are different because men are more powerful than women. It is said that men are the ones who created meaning for the culture and thus, the society sees their ideas. Women, on the other hand, are discarded when it comes to expressing meaning which leaves women as a muted group or in other words they are not heard (The Glaring Facts, 2011). In this case, silence is build through an understanding of who holds the power (men) and who does not (women).

Women are ridiculed and they are not important enough to listen to but women are expected to be supportive listeners to men. It is said that women talk about pointless things because they only know how to gossip, nag and whine.

For example :

This can be seen in various cultures and rituals especially in a wedding ceremony where the bride is “delivered” to the groom; father “gives her away” to the groom.

The idea that the bride wears a veil (cover) and a white wedding gown is a sign of that she has been “sealed” by the groom. And lastly, when the couple is pronounced to be “husband” and
“wife”, the bride is no longer keep her maiden’s name and changes her last name to the groom’s instead. This shows the inferiority of the bride.

Another example can be illustrated in street harassment where men have power over public spaces where women walk and they may receive “compliments”.

Sexual harassment is another way of telling women do not belong in the field (Griffin, 2012).

In conclusion, Muted Group Theory declares that if men start listening to women, they might lose their positions to women and allow them to be equal partners. However, as for the study of signs such as the wedding ceremony, it is the result of our values and beliefs that have been passed down from one generation to another.

References :

Griffin, E. (2012). A First Look At Communication Theory. Wheaton: McGraw Hill.

Muted Group Theory. Accessed on 15^th April 2012 from http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/theory/mutedgrp.html

The Glaring Facts, (2011). Accessed on 15^th April 2012 from http://www.theglaringfacts.com/communications/muted-group-theory/