You Just Don't Understand: Women and Men in Conversation Men and women both have the same abilities when it comes to coming up with a conversation. However, the difference lies with the setting that both genders are in. There seems to be a particular time and place for each gender to have the center of attention when it comes to communication. In the article "You Just Don't Understand: Women and Men in Conversation" by Deborah Tannen, she explores the different situations associated with the conditions in which each gender can talk and when it is looked down upon. This article explores this issues through different sociological theories and concepts, how it is viewed and the main themes throughout it. Theories that go hand in hand with the
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Stereotypes is defined by Schaefer as, "an unreliable generalization about all members of a group that does not recognize individual differences within the group" (Schaefer 417). In the article it focuses on stereotypes even if it does not say it directly. Each gender is labeled as something that they are not. Women are labeled as extremely talkative all the time and are never quiet, while men are supposed to be quiet for most of the time. However, this does not apply to all women nor all men. Men portrayed as taking charge of the conversation when it benefits them. When it comes to communication neither gender fits the respective stereotype. Gender roles plays another huge part in this article. Gender roles are "expectations regarding the proper behavior, attitudes, and activities, of males and females," (Schaefer 413). In modern times gender roles regarding to communication have shifted to express that men and women both have the ability to express themselves through speech no matter the situation. The article seems to refer to older times when it was seen as disrespectful for a woman to speak out of place, or not when spoken to. It was the man's job to speak to the wife to get a response at that time at which she was spoken to.
The sociological view of the article portrays the workings of what should happen in a home and in society traditionally. The man has control of what is spoken while the women is there to listen and speak only when spoke to. However, in recent times it has shifted to where the women can speak whenever she wants to in order to express her own thoughts and desires. There is no need to silence women if they are supposed to be equal to men. In the article it shows how far society has come and how the idea of communication is still prevalent in topics to
Stereotypes is defined by Schaefer as, "an unreliable generalization about all members of a group that does not recognize individual differences within the group" (Schaefer 417). In the article it focuses on stereotypes even if it does not say it directly. Each gender is labeled as something that they are not. Women are labeled as extremely talkative all the time and are never quiet, while men are supposed to be quiet for most of the time. However, this does not apply to all women nor all men. Men portrayed as taking charge of the conversation when it benefits them. When it comes to communication neither gender fits the respective stereotype. Gender roles plays another huge part in this article. Gender roles are "expectations regarding the proper behavior, attitudes, and activities, of males and females," (Schaefer 413). In modern times gender roles regarding to communication have shifted to express that men and women both have the ability to express themselves through speech no matter the situation. The article seems to refer to older times when it was seen as disrespectful for a woman to speak out of place, or not when spoken to. It was the man's job to speak to the wife to get a response at that time at which she was spoken to.
The sociological view of the article portrays the workings of what should happen in a home and in society traditionally. The man has control of what is spoken while the women is there to listen and speak only when spoke to. However, in recent times it has shifted to where the women can speak whenever she wants to in order to express her own thoughts and desires. There is no need to silence women if they are supposed to be equal to men. In the article it shows how far society has come and how the idea of communication is still prevalent in topics to