AQA English Language B: Gender Theorists

Difference theorist

Difference theory: Men and Women just talk differently

Explores 6 contrasts:

Men-----------------------------------------Women

Status-------------------- vs--------------Support

Independence--------- vs-------------- Intimacy

Advice-------------------- vs------------- Understanding

Information-------------- vs------------- Feeling

Order---------------------- vs--------------Proposal

Conflict------------------- vs--------------Compromise

• Men: See conversation as competitive: seek to achive the upper hand and prevent other from dominating them

• Women: Conversation is a means to gain confirmation and support for their ideas

• Men: see the world as a place where people try to gain status and keep it.

• Women: see the world as "a network network of connections seeking support and consensus

Independence vs Intimacy

• Women: often think in terms of closeness and support and often struggle to preserve intimacy

• Men: concerned with status, tend to focus more on Independence. These traits can lead to women and men to starkly different views on the same situation.

Example: A woman would check with her husband before inviting a guest to stay- she likes telling her friends she has to check with him. However the man wouldn't necessarily check with his wife

• Men: "a complaint is a challenge to find a solution"

• Women: When I woman says she is ill (just wanting sympathy) a man will offer to ring a doctor

• Men: A young man will make a brief phone call

• Women: wish to talk about her feelings

• Women: make polite suggestions "let's" "why don't we"

• Men: order "We'll go to the red lion"

• Women: "In trying to prevent a fight some women refuse to oppose the will of others openly" But sometimes it is far more effective for a woman assert herself , even at the risk of conflict.

• Men: The situation is easily observed at work- a situation where a management decision seems unattractive- men will often resist vocally (in a meeting)