Contrasting the Speech of María Paula Romo and Otto Sonnenholzner during the pandemic

Resumen

Abstract

There are many differences between women’s language and men’s language. This continues to be a topic of interest for researchers. Information obtained from investigator has proven that women have their own language that differs from and it is seen as lesser than the language of men. This study analyzes and describes the differences in speech and language from two political figures in Ecuador, María Paula Romo and Otto Sonnenholzner, during the early stages of the pandemic.

Based on the observations made on a set of YouTube videos from interviews and public statements between March 12th and April 11th 2020 through descriptive analysis, a remark was written regarding the distinctive elements of gender in speech and language of the aforementioned people. 

The results indicate that in this particular scenario, people who watched the videos preferred Sonnenholzner’s interventions more than they did Romo’s, due to the presence of many characteristics of women’s language in her speech and also to the use of conversational strategies by Sonnenholzner that reinforce the demonstration of power over women through speech.