1. RAMOS, Sherilyn C. Advanced Communication Theories
BACR 2 – 1 Prof. Kriztine R. Viray
Theory Essay #2 – Muted Group Theory and Genderlects Theory
Abstract
I started the essay by having brief information about the privileged speech of Senator Pia
Cayetano urging Filipino women to participate in leadership roles and policy-making in the
society, preferably in 2016 elections. She pointed out the number of women senators are few and
in need to increase to give known the power of women. I am able to apply the issue to the Muted
Group theory that describes here that men are the dominant group while women are the
subordinate group in the society. Women were suppressed to express their language because
they were muted by men. In addition is the help of Genderlects theory that says men have
different language and dialect from women. I also provided examples from my past remembered
situations to better understand the theories.
Abstrak
Inumpisahan ko ang sanaysay na ito sa pamamagitan ng pagkakaroon ng maikling impormasyon
tungkol sa pribilehiyong pagsasalita ni Senador Pia Cayetano na nagtutulak sa mga Pilipinong
kababaihan na lumahok sa mga pamumuno at pag gawa ng mga batas sa lipunan, mas mabuti sa
eleksyon 2016. Pinuna nya ang bilang ng mga babaeng senador na kakaunti lamang at
kinakailangan dagdagan upang bigyang pagkilala ang kapangyarihan ng mga kababaihan.
Nagkaroon ako ng kakayahan i-angkop ang isyu sa mga teyoryang Muted Group na inilarawan

2. dito na ang mga lalaki ang dominanteng grupo habang ang mga babae naman ang mababang
grupo sa lipunan. Ang mga babae ay pinipigilan ipahayag ang kanilang nais sabihin dahil sila ay
pinatatahimik ng kalalakihan. Karagdagan ay ang tulong ng teyoryang Genderlects na
nagsasabing ang mga lalaki at babae ay may magkaibang lenggwahe at dayalekto sa isa't-isa.
Ako din ay nagbigay ng mga halimbawa mula sa mga naalalang mga sitwasyon ko na nakalipas
upang lalong maintindihan ang mga teyorya.
Introduction
The discussion about gender inequality has been widely discussed eons ago. It goes way very
deeply in human history and the undying arguments still alive up until these days. In this year of
2015, the opinion about gender inequality have risen again and gotten the attention of men and
women in the senate because of the privileged speech conducted by the senator Pia Cayetano—
chair of the Senate Committee on Women, Gender and Family Relations that promotes equality
and protection for women and family.
Last Monday dated March 9, exactly the celebration of the Women’s month, Senator Pia
Cayetano made a call through her privilege speech with a theme “Juana, Desisyon Mo ay
Mahalaga sa Kinabukasan ng Bawat Isa, Ikaw Na!” Senator Pia Cayetano regards her speech
about the power and command of women in the Philippine society. The news has been shown
right away and created a large discussion over the Filipinos especially the women community.
Senator Pia Cayetano made a discourse about encouraging Filipino women to participate in
leadership roles given the fact that there have an increasing number of women who participates
in the politics in particular are the two women presidents and the number of few women

3. senators. She urged the Filipino women to perform a great part in decision-making and political
domains especially this upcoming 2016 elections to support growth of the voice of women in
authority and policy-making.
She asked the words “How can we increase women’s representation when only a few of us are
given the opportunity to actually run for public office?”
Cayetano said that when you look through the slates of political running during elections, you are
more likely to see only one or two women candidate and the rest in the list are already men.
“Despite all the gains that women have accomplished in the Philippines, they continue to be
totally understated in the jurisdiction of politics. Out of 289 members in the House of
Representatives, only 79 only or 27 percent are women.” Cayetano said.
The senator also said that political parties can play a crucial role to bridge the gender gap in
Philippine politics by giving women a better chance of getting elected to public positions.
She cited some records from the Commission on Elections or Comelec and mentioned the
statistical record of number of women who elected in the 2013 elections is too small with the
total of 7,925 out of 44,326.
She also said “Women make up half of our population and yet occupy just one-fifth of
government elective positions.”
“This gender imbalance reflects why many of our laws are biased against women, and why
women’s issues and concerns relating to family are always abandoned.” Cayetano added.

4. She finished the speech by saying the opportunity given to women is really is one way of
expanding the choices for the electorate and advancing reforms in our electoral and political
system.
After I read the article on her site, I have come to understand that Muted Group theory plays an
important role to the speech of Senator Cayetano. The theory was developed by its pioneer
theorists Edwin Ardener and Shirley Ardener. They discovered that mutedness is the result of
absence of power by the dominant group to the subordinate group. Dominant group are those
who think that their ideas and language are the most important and is suppressing the need to
speak of the groups with low status. This explains that dominant groups suppress, mute, and
dominating the subordinate groups with less dominancy in the society.
Cayetano's speech is a perfect urge to make the Muted Group Theory decrease its usage in the
society. Muted Group Theory is defined as a theory in communication that views women as the
muted group suppresed, devalued, and depreciated by men because their language is considered
as the most important. The women who are urging Cayetano are all victims of this theory. I
relate dominant groups to men while women are muted group and Cayetano had proven this by
saying even though we have already two women presidents and quite a few senators, even
though it has proven that women have contributed wellness of the society, the number of women
in politics are still too low compared to men. It was argued by Virginia Wolf and Dorothy Smith
that women in history, there have been no rightful place for them because gender have been used
to depreciate the ideas and knowledge of women. This might be the reason why there are only
few politician women because they have no right amount of confidence to run in an election. It

5. might be also they decided to run in a position, but they have lost the election because they were
dominated by the aggressiveness a men has when communicating. According to Genderlects
Theory, a man and a woman have their own way of communicating with others through public
speaking also in telling a story; to listen with others; with asking questions, and in situations with
conflict. When a man is having a campaign for the elections, he is more commanding for
attention and imparts information with the audience. Unlike women who talk more in private
speaking than in public. Because it was argued by Kramarae that women have a different
perception from men. This could be one of the reasons the women have small amount of power
to run in a position in the government. Of course, women have ideas and language to say.
Perhaps people who are dominated have a lot to say but in some situations they may have little
power to say it without getting into trouble. Even though they have works that are acceptable,
they were not given the chance to purse it because they were right down of those in the dominant
group.
There was a situation wherein I was left behind to imitate an anime character in my childhood
days.
Everytime my 4 boy-cousins, a girl-cousin and I were playing, we were always mimic the
characters in anime series Ghost Fighter. The 4 characters there were taken by my boy-cousins
and the only girl character (Jenny) were always impersonated by my girl-cousin. I am the only
person in the character that plays no character. Sometimes I pointed out to them why there is
only one girl character in Ghost Fighter. They said it is because guys are strong, smart, and
tenacious than women so that most of the anime makers are portraying more men than women. I
argued that sometimes a woman can do things just like what a man can do. They countered my

6. outburst by saying "We don't care about what you want to say. Just accept the fact that we are
more intelligent than you. And better if you just shut up your mouth."
Meanwhile, the only girl cousin I have just listened to us argue the whole time. I remember
looking at her in help to defend the bullying of my cousins but she only looked away and did not
say anything. The quarrel I had with my cousins only leads them to win the argument. Even
though I know and my girl-cousin knew that I'm having a point through the discussion. It was
just that they didn't listen to me nor let me finish what I am saying. Because as a woman, she
seem to know the things they say in private would be discounted when saying in a public table.
So that she prefered to just be silent to avoid being bulldozed by men.
Muted Group theory is racism toward women but it’s only stating the fact that there is still
unequal treatment towards women by men. The communication in mainstream is really a
"malestream" communication. That is why most women don't participate in any elections
because they know they will only dominated by men politicians. At the end, even already the
women say they will save the world just to be voted by mass people, they will only countered by
men saying they will promise an eternity.
Another is what happened to me in high school, I'd still remember that awful situation. My
teacher was looking for a pair of student to represent our section in a dance contest because she
is not going to attend. I was paired with my boy classmate; my crush. We went to my teacher's
house to practice delivering the recital. He went on styles when it was his part but when it was
my time, he suddenly interrupted me: "You're face is stolid. You should put emotions when
reciting.", "Your hands should be in the side, don't move like you're dancing." and "Maybe you
give more emphasis to the first paragraph.” At that time, I don't like him anymore. Although my

7. speeches and non-verbal movements were correct and valid, he still thinks that my way of
speaking was not convincing. I know in my heart that I didn't commit any mistake and were all
just in natural way unlike him he was like having a debate and argument. This only describes the
theory of Genderlects wherein the language of men differs to the language of women. Their
dialects are separated based on gender.
"The speech of those in subordinate groups is often disrespected and their knowledge often not
considered sufficient for decision or policy making."
Conclusion
The lack number of women leaders in the country is the reason of the speech of Senator Pia
Cayetano last March 9, 2015. With the help of Muted Group Theory, we better understand that
there are only few women politicians because women are dominated by the men group. The
things they want to say, the things they want to do were all muted by the power of men in the
society. Genderlects theory suggests that it happens because women have different perception
from men. Women are more comfortable of talking in private, while men preferred to speak to in
public. The theories only suggests that gender hierarchies still need to be taken seriously here is a
possibility that Cayetano sensed why there are few women politicians because they were
suppressed and dominated by men.