DIFFERENCE THEORY

• Who theorised the difference model?

  Deborah Tannen
• features of the difference theory

  women save face, men take control

  women are interactional men are transactional

  women prefer to share a problem, men want to be seen as experts

  women seem co-operative, men seem competitive
• support vs status

  for men the world is a competitive place in which conversation is used to build status, whereas for women the world is a network of connections and they use language to seek and offer support
• feelings vs information

  men’s conversation is message-orientated, based upon communicating information. For women conversation is more important for building relationships and strengthening social links
• compromise vs conflict

  most women avoid conflict at all costs, attempt to resolve disagreements without any direct confrontation to maintain positive connection and rapport.

  men are more likely to use confrontation as a way of resolving differences and thereby negotiating status
• proposals vs orders

  men use direct imperatives, women encourage use of super polite forms
• summary of report talk (of men)

  get more air time

  speak in public

  negotiate status/avoid failure

  speak one at a time

  speak asymmetrically
• summary of rapport talk (of women)

  talk too much

  speak in private contexts

  build relations

  overlap

  speak symmetrically
• what did Deborah Jones do?

  built on Tannens work, claiming women’s talk falls into one of four categories
• what are the four categories according to Jones?

  house talk

  scandal

  bitching

  chatting
• house talk

  exchange of information and resources connected with the female role as an occupation
• scandal

  considered judging of the behaviour of others and women in particular. usually in terms of domestic morality
• bitching

  overt expression of women’s anger at their restricted role and inferior status. express this in private and to other women only. not expecting change they just want to voice their complaints in an environment where they are understood
• chatting

  most intimate form of gossip. mutual self disclosure, transaction where women use skills they have learned as part of their job of nurturing others to their own advantage