Chapter 15 Summary, Questions 1-4 and My Own Questions

Summary:
Chapter 15 looked at the different ways that men and women communicate. Specifically, Deborah Tannen posed the question why women who go to an all-girl school do better in life than girls who have attended a co-ed school. She first established that girls and boys use language differently. A girl will find a best friend (another girl) and sit and talk about everything with while boys are activity oriented and as a result stick together in large groups. There are different statuses in boys groups, and as a result boys learn to assert themselves by showing knowledge and strengh. In a class students compete with their fellow students to be the "smartest", boys are able to adapt to this easier and assert themselves in the classroom setting better than the girls. The girls however, thrive in small groups where they fell comfortable to assert their thoughts.

Questions:
1. Have the media changed the conversational styles of men and women? Justify your answer.
Yes it has, and Charles Winick's theory of "desexualization" supports this. The roles of men and women change in the media and shows women being assertive and in control. This influences the people who see this on tv, women learn that they can be assertive in a large group. Winick's theory discusses that women are becoming for masculine and men are becoming more feminine.

2. What did Tannen find when she studied the conversational styles of boys and girls?
Tannen found that girls conversational style based on a small group setting. A girl will find a best girlfriend whom she does everything with and will tell all her secrets to. While boys on the other hand thrive in an activity setting. As a result their groups will be larger in size. Boys learn to assert themselves and show their strengths and knowledge because in that group there is hierarchy.

3. Charles Winick, a sociologist, has suggested that there is a "desexualization" going on in America, that men are getting weaker and women stronger. Do you think he is right? If so, why?
I do believe that Winick is right. Women have learned to be strong independent people, going against what the norm of women is. Men, in turn, are becoming weaker because they do not know how to react to a strong women.

4. What implications does Tannen's research have for education in general, and teaching in particular.
Her research will benefit the education field, because the information can be used to help both boys and girls be productive in school. It will also help the teacher understand why girls tend to be more quiet then boys.


Question of My Own:

If a girl has more friends who are boys, will she take on the boys communication style?