Читать книгу The Communication Playbook - Teri Kwal Gamble - Страница 207

Gender affects how men and women use and process language in a number of other ways, too. According to linguist Deborah Tannen, men and women speak different gender-lects. Tannen finds that women speak and hear a language of connection and intimacy, whereas men speak and hear a language of status and independence.⁵⁶

As a result, when conversing with men, women tend to listen attentively rather than interrupt or challenge what a man is saying. Why? Tannen holds that it is because challenging the man could damage the established connection that most women believe must be preserved at all costs.

In addition, men and women tend to speak about different topics. Monica Hiller and Fern Johnson conducted a topic analysis of conversations held in two coffee shops, one frequented by young adults and the other by middle-aged and older customers. Their research revealed that, whereas both men and women talked about work and social issues, women talked about personal issues and the older men virtually never discussed personal issues.⁵⁷ Although men and women frequently talk to each other, their cross-gender talk differs topically from man-to-man or woman-to-woman talk. Women talk to other women about their doubts and fears, personal and family problems, and intimate relationships, whereas, in general, men talk more about work and sports.