Men and Women in Interaction: Reconsidering the Differences

by Elizabeth Aries

Overview

For many years the dominant focus in gender relations has been the differences between men and women. Authors such as Deborah Tannen (You Just Don't Understand) and John Gray (Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus) have argued that there are deep-seated and enduring differences between male and female personalities, styles, even languages. Elizabeth Aries sees the issue as more complex and dependent on several variables, among them the person's status, role, goals, conversational partners, and the characteristics of the situational context. Aries discusses why we emphasize the differences between the sexes, the ways in which these are exaggerated, and how we may be perpetuating the very stereotypes we wish to abandon. For psychologists and researchers of gender and communication, this book will illuminate recent studies in gender relations. For general readers it will offer a stimulating counterpoint to prevailing views.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195355987
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	02/29/1996
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	391 KB

About the Author

Elizabeth Aries received her B.A. at the University of Michigan and her M.A. and Ph. D. at Harvard. She spent two years as Assistant Professor of Psychology at Yale University, and has been Professor of Psychology at Amherst College since 1975. She has also written numerous papers on gender and communication.

Table of Contents

1. The Elusive Truth About Men and Women2. Task and Expressive Roles3. Dominance and Leadership in Groups4. Interruptions5. Language Use and Conversational Management6. Conversation Content7. Gender Stereotypes and the Perception and Evaluation of Participants in Interaction8. Conclusions, Explanations, and Implications

Editorial Reviews

"A thoughtful review that encompasses more than 20 years of published research. . .Re-examines empirical research and highlights the ways in which stereotypical expectations create distortions of perception. . . .Scholarly and lucid."—READINGS

"Reasoned and empirical. . .I hope that [this book] becomes known among people who teach courses in gender and for those sexologists concerned about communication between the sexes."—Kathryn N. Black, Purdue University

From the Publisher