Gender Differences in Human Speech

Goodwin (1980) notes that boys and girls have access to the same general language system, though there are systematic differences in how the sexes put that system to work. Tannen (1994) notes there are gender differences in how people talk in terms of conversational coherence, meaning whether or not the topics chosen cohere or hang together. How people talk is examined by Tannen and other researchers in terms not only of gender differences but age differences for each gender as well. Several researchers consider preschool conversational behavior, showing where gender differences begin. Eder notes conversational behavior in disputes among female adolescents, and conflict talk provides a rich source go

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devices for mitigation as do girls but might use them less often, creating a difference in style. When boys get into arguments, they often use mitigating utterances to make peace. This is a reason for thinking the gender differences are style differences rather than developmental differences. A second reason is that the same pattern of differences is seen in adults. Sheldon (1990) also discusses gendered talk in preschool children, in this case with preschool disputes. The quarrels were complex because of their length and the range of strategies used by participants. Each conflict was started by the attempt of a child to maintain control over a resource that he or she was playing with and that a playmate became interested in. Boys engaged in more conflict. The boys used language to assert a position of dominance. B. Girls' Talk Goodwin (1980) finds that girls frame their accusations as reports about offense heard from an intermediary. Girls talk primarily about their appearance and relationships. Girls engage in gossip events which may lead to ridicule in song, elaborate confrontations involving accusations and insults over several days, and even ostracism of one girl from the group. Tannen (1994) finds that
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Approximate Word count = 1277
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

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