Men And Women Deborah Tannen Analysis

Why Is It So Hard for Men and Women to Talk to Each Other ? How is this relevant in life? It is proven that nearly 50% of divorces occur from lack of communication.(Tennen 3). Men and women have very different interpretations of communication that cause problems in their relationship. I believe in most cases, women like to talk more about their own problems than men. Women try to relate to others and express their emotions more often than men. Deborah Tannen's Perspective She believes that American men talk more in public situations than women, but they talk less at home. I personally agree with everything the author states in this article. She also states that women and men have very different impressions of communication. Tannen states, "Intimacy is the fabric of relationships, and talk is the thread from which it is woven." (Tannen 9) She says, "Men don't assume talk is the cement that binds a relationship, men don't know what kind of talk women want, and they don't miss it when it isn't there." (Tannen 10) women want to talk about problems, while men do not know exactly what to say to make women feel better. Women often tell men "You aren't listening", but most of the time men actually are

At every age, the boys and men sat at angles to each other and looked elsewhere in the room, periodically glancing at each other. The tendency of men to face away can give women the impression they aren't listening even when they are." ( Tannen 12) "Men live in a hierarchical world, where talk maintains independence and status. They are constantly on guard to protect themselves from being put down and pushed around." Tanner makes very valid points that I think a man or woman could agree with. Whether it be on a personal or cultural level. I've had numerous experiences with trying to talk to a male and he doesn't look at me, yet he says he is