Final answer:
Marked and unmarked categories refer to how certain attributes are considered the default or standard (unmarked), while others are noted for their difference (marked), such as 'male' being an unmarked category for gender and 'female' being marked.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concepts of marked and unmarked categories are used in linguistics and social sciences to describe how certain characteristics within a category are considered to be 'normal' or the default (unmarked), while others are 'marked' as different or atypical. An unmarked category functions as a kind of 'neutral' or 'standard' against which other categories are compared, often without needing specific mention as it is assumed to be the 'default' setting.
For example, in terms of gender, 'male' may often be considered the unmarked category, with 'female' being marked. This is evident in the way that historical accounts typically highlight 'female scientists' or 'female athletes', but do not usually specify 'male' when referring to individuals in the same fields.
Other examples include job titles like 'nurse' and 'male nurse', where the unmarked category (nurse) is often implicitly understood to be female, while the marked category (male nurse) indicates a deviation from the expected norm.