Language and gender

Zimmerman and West:

• supported through recording conversations
• men interrupted 96% of the time

Beattie:

• majority of interruptions supportive and shows listening.

• men will often reject topics of conversation introduced by women
• women accept topics by men
• men willl dicuss male topics e.g. sport
• women more likely to initiate conversation but less likely to make it succeed.

• characteristics of female language

suggested:

• more empty adjectives e.g. lovely
• more hedges 'sort of'
• more tag Qs
• more indirect Qs
• swear less
• speak less

language differences are a cause of situation not gender

• Men - concerned with status and independance
• Women - Interested in forming bonds, try to avoid conflict, show understanding by compromise and show support rather than solutions.