COM 100 Summer 2014

Genderlect Styles

Monday, August 4, 2014 8:03 pm

The Genderlect Styles concept, by Deborah Tannen, suggests that masculine and feminine style of discourse are best viewed as two distinct cultural dialects. Rapport talk, used more by women, is the typical style of conversation which seeks to establish connection with others. Report talk, used more by men, is the typical style of conversation which seeks to command attention, convey information, and win arguments. One example of the differences between these style of conversation is when telling a story. When men tell a story, they tend to tell jokes or try to make themselves the hero in the story while women would rather tell stories about others. An example of this is present in numerous movies when women are gossiping about someone else in the neighborhood or community without telling anything about themselves.

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