tylesStudies have shown that one of the reasons that men and women run have so many problems communication is because of what Deborah Tannen refers to as community and contest styles. It appears that males are more competitive and prone to conflict as where women are more cooperative. Tannen says that women are more comfortable using language for expression and men for self-display. But she says "It is much more complicated because 'self display,' when part of a mutual struggle, is also a kind of bonding. And conflict may be valued as a way of creating involvement with others," (Tannen, 150). Women prefer to use as little confrontation as possible in pertaining to disputes. But with men, conflict is necessary in determining status factors. A study done by Walter Ong revealed that "pervasive in male behavior is ritual combat, but women would rather use intermediaries," (Tannen, 150). This is reflective of adjudication versus alternative dispute resolution respectively. Further. Ong explains that women may misinterpret the "adversativeness" of the way men speak and men can be confused by the "verbal rituals" used by women.DominanceThe problem is that women talk too much. Or is it? Recent studies on gender and language have shown that it is the men that interrupt women, (Tannen, 188). The real issue at hand however is that no matter who is doing the interrupting, it is a malicious act. Interruptions are seen as intrusions or acts of domination. Women and men feel interrupted because they have different objectives they are trying to convey when they speak. It is also frustrating when you are accused of being interrupted and you feel that you have not. It all refers back to power. Men like to be in control of conversations and many women do not know how to grasp that control. But women feel violated and repressed. In mediation, no interruptions are a primary concern. Each side is supposed to have equal opportunity to speak. ...
