One of Tannen's most influential ideas is that of the male norm
Terms such as 'mankind' may imply this: the term for the species or people in general is the same as that for one sex only
The further implication for this is that male is correct/standard and female is incorrect/substandard...
...with resulting pressure on the female to change to become more like the male
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Githens on Tannen
"If we believe that women and men have different styles and that the male is the standard, we are hurting both women and men"
"The women are treated based on the norms for men, and men with good intentions speak to women as they would other men...
...and are perplexed when their words spark anger and resentment."
"Finally, apart fromher objection to women having to do all the changing, Tannen states that women changing will not work either."
"As Dale Spender theorised, women who talk like men are judged differently - and harshly. A woman invading the man's realm of speech is often considered unfeminine, rude or bitchy."
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