Thursday, June 24, 2010
Gender Based Conversation
I do think that men and women typically use language differently. I can see this in my own relationship with my wife very clearly in situations where I come home and she lays into me about my day and all the details. Many times I simply want to be more private about the failures, but this is something that I have been actively trying to shift. The text says that the majority of men use rapport talk while women use report talk. In this way I can see how the genders have been stereotyped, but UI don’t think it is something that we either can’t or shouldn’t want to shift. I would love it if at times my wife could be a little more straight forward, and conversely I think she would love it if I would be more relational in my conversation. This does not mean that we should all try to communicate in the same way, however, there is some room for shared understandings.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hi JOURNEY:
ReplyDeleteI can personally relate to your post, especially in empathizing with how you feel when you come home from a work day. Although not related to professional work, I remember when my younger brother and I would come home from school and I mother would engage us in conversation about our individual days. If my mother said, “Stace, how was your day?” she would have to be preparing herself for me to “report” back on what life was like for me from the moment I arrived at school to the moment I got off the bus and walked home. I remember how detailed I was in answering her simple (and daily) question while my younger brother would say, “Fine.” and walk by her and into his room. I remember how frustrated this would make her because she wanted to “know more” about his life and how he was “feeling” about his experience at school. My father, however, took my brother’s retort as “acceptable” and “assuring” that everything was just that, “fine.”
(: gunnerisfunner
Journey,
ReplyDeleteYes, women are more of the talkers, most of the time. We do like details in stories and hearing about one's day. Although, I understand how a guy would want to just unwind and relax, not talk about the work day. Women are just conversationalist and talking about the day is just a way to spark up a conversation. "This does not mean that we should all try to communicate in the same way, however, there is some room for shared understandings." (Journey) Yes, it is about understanding, clarity and meaning. As long as we're open minded to understanding the other gender, at the end of the day it will make the person greatful.