Sample Solution

In her essay “Sex, Lies and Conversation”, Deborah Tannen makes a number of observations about male-female communication which are supported by both academic research and personal experience. In particular, she discusses the implications of gender differences in friendship formation, upbringing and expectations of marriage (Tannen 2010).

For instance, she argues that women tend to form friendships based on shared experiences while men prefer more competitive or task-oriented interactions (Tannen 2010). Her statements are largely consistent with existing research which has found evidence for a difference between genders in terms of how they form relationships with others (Weiss 2006). Additionally, Tannen suggests that childhood upbringing has an influence on adult relationships as well; boys are taught to be independent from a young age while girls may be encouraged to develop intimate conversations through play (Tannen 2010). This is reflected in findings from various studies which have shown that men are generally less comfortable expressing emotions than women (Gottman et al., 1997)

Moreover, Tannen notes that many couples entering into marriage have different expectations regarding its purpose. She states that while men often view it as a way to achieve freedom and independence; women may see it as an opportunity to create lasting connection with their partner (Tannen 2010). Again this is supported by past research indicating significant gender disparities when it comes to attitudes towards marriage (Harvey & Lefkowitz 2005).

Overall then, it appears that Tannen’s assertions regarding male-female communication hold up when compared against existing evidence. Although there will always be individual variations among people, her generalizations serve as useful guidelines for understanding the dynamics between genders when interacting with one another.