...In the myth, “Women Talk Too Much,” Janet Holmes discusses the misconception that women talk more than men. Throughout the myth she proves that this overused statement is false. She finds that the environment, and different situations are what women’s discussions depend on, and ironically men tend to dominate them. Holmes discusses numerous studies that measured the amount of talking used by men and women in different contexts. The first study, which she called the “New Zealand Study,” found that men dominated talking time. This generally starts when children are attending elementary school (formal contexts). They found that two-thirds of the classroom discussion is taken by teachers and the rest is taken over by male students. The explanation for these findings is that males are more concerned than females about earning status and power. So they feel that by, “participating and verbally contributing,” will help to gain more status in formal contexts. Formal contexts meaning public situations (i.e. business meetings, seminars, committee meetings, etc.) The study also found that men tend to dominate discussions by patronizing women. For example, in this chapter they give a scenario of a work meeting. In the meeting the woman discusses an issue and is interrupted by a male colleague. He interrupts by saying, “I think what Anne is trying to say Roger is….” By interrupting, he’s putting across a message that he knows better (a way of trying to achieve higher status), and...
Words: 309 - Pages: 2
...Who talk too much The essay “Women talk too much” by Janet Holmes begins by showing many proverbs point out that women are too talkative. She is trying to prove her points through the use of her research from talk show, seminars, and many other areas. Holmes does all she can to demonstrate that women in fact talk less than men. From most of her investigations, we can know that women do not talk too much, and it is men who tend to insist other hear their opinions more than women do. But why everyone would actually care whether women are talking too much or not? This is hard for me to understand. Take it as an example, when four girls hang out to high tea and talk more per hour than four boys being together, why would the boys care since it has no impact on them? What matters most is not how much men and women talk per specific topics but such things is (a) what do they talk about, (b) how much men and women do talk when they are in mixed gender groups and who seems to focus more on making a better environment for everyone present, (c) what does talk mean to women. Different talk intentions The classroom research Holmes mentioned in the article is not comprehensive. “Talking in class is often perceived as ‘showing off,’ especially if it is girl-talk. Until recently, girls have preferred to keep a low profile rather than attract negative attention.” (303) As a matter of fact, boys do not always dominate the class while girls may therefore are proactive during some issues...
Words: 1017 - Pages: 5
...which gender talk more has always been an intense argument. It does not be too difficult to determine the numbers of people believed that the female did much more conversations than male. There is an article ‘Women Talk Too Much,’ which wrote by Janet Holmes who a professor of sociolinguistics at the Victoria University of Wellington. By the analysis of numerous studies, facts and researches that it seems the author determines the amount of conversation totally depend on different circumstances and situations. Furthermore, unlike the proverb of English says. “Women’s tongues are like lambs tails-----they are never still” (299). Holmes thinks that women are talking less than men in many situations, such as in the classroom and working place. Even though, many evidence of this paper has displayed dozens of reasons that women are talking much less than we think, there are still some evidences to persuade people this article does not quite convincible. In this essay, I will discuss many evidences and studies that Holmes used to convince the reader. Moreover, the tone of her article will be analyzed, and finally I will present some opposing view with evidence to prove that men totally talk less than women. Holmes has given a lot of different evidences and studies to convince reader that women usually do not have more conversations than man in workplace, classroom or some other situations. There is a intersecting example about women could not find the same chance to talk in business...
Words: 994 - Pages: 4
...of communication between the two sexes. Do men and women speak differently, or do they speak alike? Do men speak to command attention and authority? Are women more likely to speak in a more deferential tone? Are there any notable differences in the speaking styles of women and men? In antiquity, the answer was a simple and fascinating ‘yes’. In his essay “Sex Differences”, Ronald Macaulay believes there is no differences as such that affects language acquisition, although social factors interfere in the way they both talk. In contrast, Janet Holmes expresses in her essay “Women talk too much” that language is biased because it is men who have positions of power and seek authority, who judges when talk is too much, when its appropriate, and that women assert themselves less when speech is more valued. As we progress, we shall examine more closely their positions and expose the nature of their claims. In fact, the use and style in language has no bearing on one’s gender. The way one communicates with others has much to do with personal life experiences, self-image, and the overall make up of our personality and character. According to Macaulay, women are more straightforward and use the language in a simpler manner while men tend to be more creative. First of all, men are associated with toughness and aggression, sometimes boldness whereas women are associated with sweetness, being innocent, shy and loyal. These talks are not to be used to judge each of the sexes although...
Words: 957 - Pages: 4
...styles of Men and women Have you ever heard this proverb: Women’s tongues are like lamb’s tails-they are never still? The different speech styles by men and women causes a violent controversy in this present-day society. By thinking about women and men’s different language style, in retrospect, some people claim that women and men have obvious differences in conversation style. In her essay “Women Talk Too Much,” Jonet Holmes argues that to dominate talking depends on many different factors, including the social context in which the talk is taking place, relative social confidence and perception (299-304). By contrast, Ronald Macaulay declares his statement in his article “Sex Difference” that language use and development as a result of the social environment have a great impact on the talking between women and men, not the sex differences in language (307-313). It is explicit that both Holmes and Macaulay express their personal perspectives about the similar purpose of talking, the dissimilar factors of language development and the perception of language that could affect their conversational style. In Holmes’ article, she told about the purpose of talking in public between man and women, “Formal public talk is often aimed at information people or persuading them to agree to a particular point of view” (301). She agrees that public talk is often undertaken by those who emphasize their degrees of public status. In addition, when the men have an effective talk in public, the purpose...
Words: 1025 - Pages: 5
...showing us the pressure we put on women to look in a certain way in todays society. In the video “Pretty Hurts” it gives the viewers a better understanding of the interpretations trying to be made. Beyoncè takes us behind scenes of a pageant show, giving viewers a vivid image of the horrific truth. She not only shows us the standards that the world expects for women, but also the lengths that women would go through to be number one. I believe Beyoncè often tries to sell herself as effortlessly beautiful, and that her songs, photos and videos do contribute to this virtually unobtainable standard of beauty,...
Words: 1080 - Pages: 5
...Holmes Sept. 6, 2012 Communication is Key Women tend to want to talk and men think that women should know what they are thinking without saying anything at all. This is often the downfall of a marriage, the failure to communicate. It depends on who you ask if self-disclosure is good for a marriage or not. Most women think that it’s good to talk about their feelings, likes and dislikes. Women will more willingly tell about things going on in their day with work or friends. Men, on the other hand, seem to think that women share too much. Men do not normally like to talk about feelings and they will not easily or willingly share their thoughts. Self-disclosure is a means of communication that needs practice, and all couples could benefit from it. It’s undisputed that communication is the key to any relationship. “Quality communication is defined somewhat differently from study to study, but research consistently has shown a link between happy marriages and "self-disclosure," or sharing your private feelings, fears, doubts and perceptions with your partner” (Schoenberg, 2011). Although, I believe that self-disclosure is a wonderful way to keep a relationship happy, I do not think many men believe in sharing there inter most thoughts and feelings. It has been my experience that when I tried to open the lines of communication with my husband, it normally ends in a comment like “do we have to talk everything to death”. Self-disclosure is an important...
Words: 517 - Pages: 3
...Deborah Tannen, as Michael Billig (2000: 129) noted in his review of her 1998 book The Argument Culture, has a particular knack for writing best-sellers that ‘can outstrip the celebrity biographies, cookery books and sex manuals that dominate the non-fiction book trade’. Indeed, Tannen’s latest addition to her oeuvre meant for popular consumption, You’re Wearing That? a New York Times bestseller, is no different. Focusing on mother-adult daughter conversations and the tensions that can arise from these relationships, Tannen’s goal is to help readers understand and overcome these problems. In addressing her readers, assumed to be women, she writes that: our deepest wish is to be understood and approved of by our mothers and daughters. We can get closer to that goal by listening to the ways we talk to each other, and by learning to talk to each other in new ways (p. 32). In privileging mother-daughter relationships, Tannen often mentions that these relationships are like any other, only more so – and thus the tensions, disagreements and arguments involved are more intense, personal, and potentially damaging. As in her previous popular works, her evidence of the difficulties in these relationships draws heavily on recorded interactions, anecdotes, focus group discussions, interviews, literature, and more. Tannen also uses examples from her own relationship with her mother throughout, adding a personal and Affiliation American Studies, Department of English, University...
Words: 1734 - Pages: 7
...that if you’re not in perfect shape then you’re not attractive. “One body-image study found that 45 percent of men were dissatisfied with their physiques; women were only slightly less satisfied at 55 percent.”(Potter). Most people think that this only happens to females but it affects males greatly also. In today’s society women feel that they need to be 5’5” and 110 pounds to be attractive. It is reasons like this that females suffer from diseases such as anorexia and bulimia all because advertisements imply that they are not attractive. Women look at magazines like Victoria’s Secret, Playboy, and Maxim and see how guys react to those pictures and think that they need to look like this to get the same attention. So, it is pretty obvious that the majority of males are not helping this cause out at all, because they participate in the purchase of these items and act negatively towards women who do not fit this image. Although men may cause women to feel like this, women do the same exact thing to men. Every time a girl see’s a 6’0” muscular man with a six pack they get all googly over him. That makes some of the men who do not look like that feel that they have to get into better shape and take whatever drastic measures might be needed to look like this. So even though it might not be as common for men as it is for women to experience bulimia and anorexia, it is still just as likely and definitely is still existent in that nature. In the article of, My Body Is My Own...
Words: 1902 - Pages: 8
...stops talking. Like Sally, most women are always pointing the finger at men for causing problems in their relationship; they claim that men do not communicate or meet their every need, but in reality women are the problem. Men do not know how to handle women most of the time because women piss them off so much. In order to prevent this from happening, women need to know how they piss men off so that they can prevent themselves from doing these things. 1. Constantly text them and never give them space. Men need space just as much as women do, and when women are constantly nagging them, they do not get the space they need. Women tend to constantly text their boyfriend, “What are you doing? Where are you? Who are you with? Why aren’t you responding?” This is not going to make their boyfriend reply any faster than he would have before. This step tends to piss off men because sometimes they just need time alone from their girlfriends to gather themselves before confronting her about where he has been for the past three hours. Ladies, starting “World War III” because they do not reply within the hour tends to also make men quite angry, so unless she happens to be on fire, calling her boyfriend twenty times and leaving him raging voicemails may not be Sally’s best idea. 2. Overreact about everything men do “wrong”. “I texted you like 3 hours ago and you didn’t even reply. You’re unbelievable. I’m obviously more important than whatever you were doing.” Women tend to overreact...
Words: 1155 - Pages: 5
...barely any grass. I am glad I am healthy, the people with illnesses get no medical treatment at all. It was worth the wait, though. Life in Australia is amazing. Everyone is so free. It is so strange to see women walking with tight shorts and tiny shirts, and freely interacting with men that are not their family. Men and women eat together, large groups, out in public! And at tables, and with strange...
Words: 458 - Pages: 2
...John Gray – Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus Scanned by NOVA Scanner: Canoscan D1250 U2F Software: Omnipage Pro 9 Date: 28 August 2002 Proofed by eb00ks Date: 18 March, 2004 Note: As this proofing was done purely on the scanned text copy, this copy needs to be compared to a hardcopy to correct errors resulting from the source text file. eb00ks Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus A Practical Guide for Improving Communication and Getting What You Want in Your Relationships John Gray, Ph.D. Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus Contents: Introduction _________________________________________________________________ i Chapter 1: Men Are from Mars Women Are from Venus Chapter 2: Mr. Fix-It and the Home-Improvement Committee Chapter 3: Men Go to Their Caves and Women Talk Chapter 4: How to Motivate the Opposite Sex Chapter 5: Speaking Different Languages Chapter 6: Men Are Like Rubber Bands Chapter 7: Women Are Like Waves Chapter 8: Discovering Our Different Emotional Needs Chapter 9: How to Avoid Arguments Chapter 10: Scoring Points with the Opposite Sex Chapter 11: How to Communicate Difficult Feelings Chapter 12: How to Ask for Support and Get It Chapter 13: Keeping the Magic of Love Alive 1 4 12 18 26 40 50 59 67 78 92 110 122 2 Acknowledgments I thank my wife, Bonnie, for sharing the journey of developing this book with me. I thank her for allowing me to share our stories and especially for expanding my understanding and ability to honor the female...
Words: 85080 - Pages: 341
...In Dana Jennings reflection essay “Our Scars Tell the Stories of Our Lives”, he discusses the significance and the stories behind all of the scars on his body and how he sees them as “personal runes and conversation starters” (143). While in contrast, Katherine Haines’s essay “Whose Body Is This?” talks about how society holds these unrealistic expectations for how women should be skinny and basically have the perfect body all the time. And surprisingly enough to her, women are actually trying to achieve and maintain these expectations. One of Dana Jennings’s main point that he continually reiterated throughout his entire essay was that our scars tell our stories. We shouldn’t be afraid or embarrassed of them, but rather embrace them because...
Words: 969 - Pages: 4
...a. I think women are better listeners than men. PRO | CON | Women show to a greater extent in emotions | Could be just pretending to listen | Women naturally use reflective language | They talk way too much about one thing | Women care and are really interested in conversations | Can be annoying with certain topics | They give advice from their own experiences | They can push a subject down your throat | They give a women’s perspective on certain things | May be crying or loud speaking | b. capital punishment is no deterrent to crime. PRO | CON | Morality | Cost of death vs life in prison | Constitutionality | Race | Deterrence | Income level | Retribution | Attorney Quality | Irrevocable Mistakes | Physicians at execution | c. “Hard” sciences such as math are more difficult than “soft” sciences such as sociology. PRO | CON | More prepared for life situations | Economics | Larger expand of knowledge | Political Science | Being accurate | Chemistry | Computing sciences | Less job opportunities because of less knowledge | Physics | Biology | d. The production and sale of cigarettes must be outlawed for the health of the American public. PRO | CON | Change magnitude smokers because it is outlawed | Finding alternate bad habits | Chemicals found in cigarettes | States loses money on cigarette sales | Stop underage smokers | Have yellow tone on your skin, fingernails and teeth. | Decreased number of smokers | Your lunges bequeath...
Words: 722 - Pages: 3
...Women Language In preparing this topic area candidates should study: * The forms and functions of talk; * Gender themes in writing; * Historical and contemporary changes. In particular, they should examine * Conversational styles * Representations in writing. | * How language reveals, embodies and sustains attitudes to gender. * How language users speak or write in (different and distinctive) ways that reflect their sex. The first of these is partly historic and bound up with the study of the position of men and women in society. It includes such things as the claim that language is used to control, dominate or patronize. This may be an objective study insofar as it measures or records what happens. But it may also be subjective in that such things as patronizing are determined by the feelings of the supposed victim of such behaviour. Your patronizing me needs me to feel that I am patronized. The second area of study recalls many discussions of the relative influence of nature and nurture, or of heredity and environment. Of this we can note two things immediately: * Education or social conditioning can influence gender attitudes in speaking and writing (for example, to make speech more or less politically correct), but * There are objective differences between the language of men and that of women (considered in the mass), and no education or social conditioning can wholly erase these differences. * women - talk more than men, talk...
Words: 1110 - Pages: 5
