Sex, Sighs, and Conversation

1. SEX, SIGHS, AND CONVERSATION:
WHY MEN AND WOMEN CAN’T
COMMUNICATE
Deborah Tannen

2. GROUP MEMBERS
 Ayushman Tamrakar - Leader
 Raeesha Shrestha - Editor
 Nikesh Todi
 Ashika Sharma
 Rashik Khadka
 Sanjina Shakya

3. TABLE OF CONTENTS
 Writers Introduction
 Childhood
 Adulthood
 Ways of Talking
 Assumptions on Problems
 Gender Views
 Expressing Habits
 Main Idea

4. WRITER’S INTRODUCTION: DEBORAH
TANNEN
 A University Professor
and Professor
of linguistic
 Has lectured worldwide in
her field
 Written numerous
academic publication on
linguistics and
interpersonal
communication.
 Best known for her
general audience
books on interpersonal
communication
and public discourse.

5. CHILDHOOD
Women
 Play in small groups or in pairs.
 Spend a lot of time talking with their best friends.
 Sharing of secrets among themselves make them
best friends.
 Use language as the relationship builder.
Men
 Play competitive games in larger groups.
 Don’t usually have best friends.
 High status=orders; low status=be pushed around.
 Use language as independence preserver and status
builder.

6. Women
 Like to gossip a lot.
 No shame in asking for help.
Men
 Ignorance is humiliation.
 Like to maintain higher status than others.
ADULTHOOD

7. WAYS OF TALKING
Women
 Talk about everything in detail.
 Ask others to explain the unknown in detail.
 Topics of life’s daily events and impressions
means essence of intimacy.
Men
 Ignores details.

8. ASSUMPTIONS ON PROBLEMS
Women
 Make long descriptions of problems.
 Doesn’t want a solution right away.
 Feels frustrated if a solution cuts short the
discussion of the problem.
Men
 Search or suggest solutions quickly.
 Don’t talk about the problem much.

9. GENDER VIEWS
Women
 Feel offended when they don’t get expected
response.
 Seek mutual support and exploration.
Men
 Might not always share everything to close
people.
 Like to impress guests or friends by talking
about his achievements in life.
 Want to be one step ahead of everyone else.

10. EXPRESSING HABITS
Women
 Talk more at home.
 Regard talks as constructing good relationship
with people.
Men
 Talk more at public.
 Regard talks as a means of building status.

11. MAIN IDEA
 Understanding gender differences in ways of
talking is the first step toward changing.
 Different views of different people may create
misunderstanding.
 Adjustments to improve relationship.