Deborah Tannen

Paper Summary:

This paper takes a look at the ideas of sociolinguist Deborah Tannen, regarding conversational rituals. The paper reports how, according to Tannen, communication is never simply about saying what you mean, or merely communicating information in a factual manner. Every conversation has a complex undercurrent, or subtext.

Outline:
Ritual Opposition Talk
Rapport Talk
Trouble Talk
Public Talk
Private Talk
Directness & Indirectness Talk

From the Paper:

"Trouble talk, or confessional talk, the exchanging of information about problems, is another form of intimacy, also often seen amongst women in our current cultural environment. A woman might share her problems about a new boss or boyfriend. When trouble talking, women often expect empathetic agreement from their partner, while men might often be taken aback when a more stereotypically male approach to 'solving' the problem that is apparently troubling the woman meets with opposition. Often, the purpose of trouble talk is opening up about an emotional need, not 'fixing' a specific problem in the eyes of many women."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Tannen, Deborah. That's Not What I Meant!: How Conversational Style Makes or Breaks Relationships. NY: Ballantine, 1986.

More papers on Deborah Tannen:

• Analytical Essay # 123281 : "Critical Thinking in Education: Graff and Tannen"
• Comparison Essay # 13309 : "Games People Play" ( Eric Berne ) & "You Just Don't Understand" ( Deborah Tannen )"
• Analytical Essay # 22412 : "You Just Don't Understand" ( Deborah Tannen )"

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