Dominant and muted group theory.

Shirley and Edwin Ardener made this theory and it has since been adopted by others e.g. Dale Spender and Cheris Kramarae. This theory allows us to see in more detail the way in which language is connected to social values.

They believe that in any culture there are more and less powerful groups. The more powerful social groups control the means of communication e.g. language,  TV, the press etc and therefore reflect the views of this dominant group.

Other groups are in various ways from using or are ignored by these means of communication. They thus become muted groups as they are denied means of expressing themselves.

Dale Spender applies this theory in her book 'Man Made Language':
"Males, as the dominant group, have produced language, thought and reality. Historically, it has been structures, the categories and the meanings which have been invented by males - though not of course by all males - and they have been validated by reference to other males. In this process woman have played little or no part. It has been male subjectivity that has been the source of those meanings, including the meaning that their own subjectivity is objectivity.