In Deborah Tannen’s essay “Sex, Lies, and Conversation,” she explores the difficulties that arise in communication between men and women. She argues that these difficulties are due to the fact that men and women have different communication styles.
Tannen begins by discussing the difference between “report talk” and “rapport talk.” Report talk is used to convey information, while rapport talk is used to establish a connection with another person. She argues that men tend to use report talk more often than women, who prefer rapport talk. This difference can lead to misunderstandings, as men may feel that women are being overly emotional or chatty, while women may feel that men are being cold and distant.
She goes on to discuss the different ways that men and women use conversation. She argues that men use conversation to establish their status, while women use it to build relationships. This difference can again lead to misunderstandings, as men may feel that women are interrupting them or talking too much, while women may feel that men are trying to one-up them.
Tannen concludes by offering some suggestions for how men and women can communication more effectively. She urges both sexes to be aware of the differences in communication styles and to try to adjust their own behaviour accordingly. She also suggests that couples should take turns talking and listening, and that they should make an effort to really understand what the other person is saying.
Overall, Tannen’s essay provides a valuable insights into the difficulties that can arise in communication between men and women. Her suggestions for how to improve communication are sensible and practical, and her discussion of the different communication styles is eye-opening. This essay is sure to be of interest to anyone who has ever struggled with communication in a relationship.
In “Sex, Lies, and Conversations,” Deborah Tannen explores the various types of communication employed by men and women. Tannen starts her essay with a personal anecdote that piques the reader’s attention. Tannen explains how men and women interact with each other, how their different styles of communication create difficulties in their relationships, and why these may lead to a broken marriage.
Tannen begins her essay by talking about an argument that she got into with her husband. She goes on to say that communication is the root of all their problems. “The truth is that what my husband and I were really fighting about that day was not so much the socks or any specific thing, but communication” (Tannen 3). Tannen then proceeds to ask why communication is so difficult for her and her husband when they are both intelligent people. After some thought, she answers her own question; it’s because men and women communicate differently.
Tannen claims that communication between a man and woman can be frustrating because they often speak what she calls “cross-cultural communication” (Tannen 4). She gives the example of a woman who speaks in a “report talk” to her husband, which is a way of communication where the speaker uses complete sentences and goes into detail. The husband, on the other hand, responds with “rapid-fire questions” that are short and to the point (Tannen 4). As a result, the conversation quickly turns into an argument because the woman feels like she’s not being heard and the man feels like he’s being interrogated.
In order to fix this communication problem between men and women, Tannen suggests that people need to be more aware of how they communicate. It’s important to be aware of the different communication styles of the opposite sex in order to avoid misunderstandings. For example, a woman should not use report talk when talking to a man who responds better to rapid-fire questions.
Tannen’s essay is important because it highlights the importance of communication in relationships. Communication is key to building respect and trust; it can resolve differences in the environment. When communication breaks down, it can lead to problems like those that Tannen experienced in her own marriage. Her essay provides readers with insight on how to communicate more effectively with the opposite sex, and why communication is so important in relationships.
In her essay, Deborah Tannen claims that men and women have developed up with various sorts of communication with the same and opposing genders. The differences between males or females in their own sex, according to Deborah Cameron, are greater than those between sexes.
Both Cameron and Tannen make valid points about communication between sexes, but I believe that Cameron’s essay is more convincing. Cameron provides more examples and evidence to support her claims than Tannen does. For example, Cameron talks about how men and women use different types of communication when they are talking to someone of the same sex or the opposite sex. she also talks about how communication changes when people are in a relationship. Tannen, on the other hand, only talks about communication between men and women in general terms without providing any specific examples.
The author’s personal story is used as a vehicle to discuss an important social issue. Deborah Tannen is a communication professor who has written extensively on communication between men and women. In this essay, she draws on her own experiences and research to argue that women are often not taken seriously by men in conversations.
Tannen specifically blames the sexual double standard for this phenomenon; because society expects men to be assertive and dominant in communication, women who adopt similar communication styles are seen as less than feminine and competent. This leads to a communication dynamic in which men frequently interrupt or talk over women, trivialize their arguments, and generally disregard their contributions.
The essay makes several important points about communication between men and women. First, Tannen argues that men and women often communicate differently because they are socialized to do so. For example, society expects men to be assertive and dominant in communication, while women are expected to be more passive and deferential. This can lead to communication difficulties when the two sexes interact, as each is expecting the other to communicate in a way that is contrary to their natural tendencies.
Second, Tannen blames the sexual double standard for the way men often disregard the contributions of women in conversations. The sexual double standard holds that it is acceptable for men to be sexually promiscuous, while women who engage in the same behavior are considered slutty or undesirable. This double standard leads to a communication dynamic in which men frequently interrupt or talk over women, trivialize their arguments, and generally disregard their contributions.
Third, Tannen argues that communication difficulties between men and women can be overcome if both sexes are more aware of the communication styles of the other. She suggests that men should try to be more understanding of the way women communicate, and women should try to be more assertive in their communication style. With greater understanding and communication skills, Tannen believes that communication between men and women can improve.
In conclusion, I believe that Deborah Cameron’s essay is more convincing than Deborah Tannen’s because it provides more specific examples and evidence to support its claims.
