Examining Language and Gender

ABSTRACT: Due to the country’s gender-segregation rules and conservative culture, females and males in Kuwait have separate socialization norms. This study strives to examine online and offline linguistic practices by analyzing WhatsApp conversations of mixed-gender and female single-gender interactions. Rresults reveal that males and females construct and perform their gender identity by employing interactional strategies that are exclusive to the virtual context of WhatsApp and do not exist in the offline Kuwaiti society. The study refers the identity construction and performance to communicate successfully and achieve shared goals of establishing relationships and friendships as members of the WhatsApp community of practice. Furthermore, context of interaction is a significant variable that influences communication between genders given that Kuwait is a gender-segregated country.