METADISCOURSE AND GENDER: AN ANALYSIS OF THE CONCLUSION SECTIONS OF TURKISH MA THESES

Authors : Ruhan Güçlü

Pages : 80-107

Doi:10.33690/dilder.1710593

View : 112 | Download : 166

Publication Date : 2025-12-26

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study investigates the use of interactive and interactional metadiscourse markers in the conclusion sections of Turkish master’s theses, with a specific focus on gender-based variation. Drawing on Hyland’s (2005) interpersonal model and supported by an eclectic taxonomy adapted to Turkish, the research analyzes a balanced corpus of 40 MA theses (20 female, 20 male authors) from the fields of History, Sociology, Turkish Language and Literature, and Philosophy. Quantitative analysis reveals that both male and female authors frequently used both interactive and interactional metadiscourse markers in similar ways. Transitions, frame markers, and code glosses were the most frequently used interactive elements, while boosters, hedges, and attitude markers dominated the interactional category. Notably, boosters appeared slightly more in male-authored texts, while frame markers and code glosses were more prominent in female-authored ones. Statistical analysis using the log-likelihood test confirmed significant gender-based variation in these subcategories. Qualitative analysis indicates that metadiscourse strategies are primarily shaped by genre-specific conventions and academic writing norms, rather than gender alone. However, subtle gendered tendencies, such as women’s greater use of reader-oriented and clarifying devices and men’s preference for assertive expressions, suggest that social identity influences rhetorical choices to some extent. Overall, the findings highlight the dynamic interaction between academic genre, linguistic structure, and social identity. The study concludes that while genre expectations foster a high degree of stylistic uniformity, gender continues to inform metadiscursive choices in academic writing subtly. These insights hold pedagogical relevance for Turkish for Academic Purposes (TAP) programs, emphasizing the need to raise student awareness about both rhetorical conventions and identity positioning in scholarly discourse.
Keywords : Üstsöylem, Cinsiyet farkları, Türk akademik yazımı, Yüksek lisans tezi sonuç bölümleri, Alıcı odaklı etkileşimli ve bilgi odaklı etkileşimli belirleyiciler

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