Abstract:
Research primarily in Western contexts shows that High Rising Terminals (HRTs) or “uptalk” conveys various social meanings beyond its “essentialized” feminine meanings (Lakoff 1973), such as politeness and casualness, and can signal solidarity or construct social personas (Britain 1992; Kiesling 2005). Despite this understanding, studies on uptalk’s meanings in non-Western contexts like Hong Kong are scarce, with existing research suggesting that rising tones might index dominance rather than politeness or femininity (Cheng & Warren 2005), pointing to potential cultural differences in the use/perception of uptalk. The study examines whether there are indeed such differences by investigating the impact of gender on the use of uptalk in Hong Kong English (HKE). It also examines to what extent age, ethnicity, and affect interact with gender in the use of uptalk, aiming to uncover the meanings of uptalk in HKE.
A mixed-methods approach was employed, involving a production experiment, an evaluation experiment, and post-experiment interviews with 16 undergraduate students from Hong Kong, focusing on gender’s influence on uptalk. The study acknowledges the complexity of gender beyond binary classifications but initially focuses on the binary male-female distinction for foundational insights.
Qualitatively, it was found that uptalk is viewed differently based on gender: women’s uptalk was perceived as indicative of lack of confidence and hesitancy, whereas men’s uptalk was associated with education and confidence. These perceptions shifted when participants were made aware of uptalk as a linguistic feature, highlighting the role of awareness in gendered interpretations of speech. Men were generally less aware of uptalk usage, suggesting women’s significant influence in shaping its gendered connotations.
Quantitatively, through Bayesian mixed-effects regression analyses, the study indicated a relatively high probability that uptalk is more prevalent in mixed-gender interactions and is particularly associated with femininity, consistent with previous Western research. This was confirmed by frequentist post-hoc tests, where the differences by gender and gender groupings, particularly for women in same-sex vs, mixed-sex groups were significant. Interactions were also observed: women were also found to be more likely to exhibit significantly more uptalk use in mixed-sex settings than men, indicating a stylistic accommodation to the speaker’s gender and the gender context. This suggests that uptalk is a means for navigating gender(ed) identities in Hong Kong. Factors other than gender, such as ‘Chinese’ ethnic orientation and affect, also conditioned uptalk use, attesting to the intersectionality of uptalk with factors beyond gender.
Both sets of findings suggest that that women use linguistic forms like uptalk to convey tentativeness for social capital, particularly with men, among other social meanings. They shed light on how gender – in interacting with other social factors – is expressed and negotiated through language variables like uptalk in Hong Kong, contributing to the broader understanding of gender(ed) dynamics and sociolinguistic practices in the region.
