Gender Talk

Paper Summary:

The paper explains the differences in the way men and women express the same idea. It gives examples of how men and women often misunderstand each other in the workplace because of these differences. The paper describes how people fall into certain rituals when trying to communicate. The writer then gives advice for people of each gender to follow in order to aid improved communication in the workplace. In conclusion, the writer suggests that flexibility is important, as is understanding what the rituals are which cause misunderstandings in conversations.

From the Paper:

"Many of the conversational rituals common among women are designed to make others feel comfortable and this often involves the speaker taking a one-down role herself. Tannen notes that this is usually a ritual the other person is expected to match. Besides the danger of provoking peer resentment (or related to it) is the different ways women and men are inclined to certain types of talking. Letting others know about what you have done is almost always labeled boating by women and boasting is something most women have learned early on to avoid. In contrast, says Tannen, many men assume they have to let others know what they've done in order to get the recognition they deserve."

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• Term Paper # 136912 : "Essays on Gender"

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