Chanel Johnson & Jazz Palmer
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“A term suggesting that masculine and feminine
styles of disclosure are best viewed as two distinct
cultural dialects”
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Connection vs. status
Rapport vs. Report
◦ Rapport: “The typical conversation style of women
which seeks to establish connection with others.”
◦ Report: “The typical monlogic style of men which
seeks to command attention, convey information,
and win arguments.”
Rapport-talk (Women)
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Relationship oriented
More expressive
(verbally) and responsive
with obvious visual/vocal
Women give more
backchannel cues to
encourage turntaking
More detailed terms (eg.
Colors; use of stories)
Disclose more and
receive more disclosures
Ask more questions
Use more evaluative
adjectives (cute,
fabulous, adorable)
Report-talk (Men)
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Information-oriented
Less expressive
(verbally) and
w/attentiveness
respond to women
using delayed minimal
responses (discourage
turntaking)
Vocabulary: Objective,
less detailed
Less disclosing
more declarative
statements
Use stronger expletives
Boys learn to…
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Communicate to assert
your ideas, opinions an
identity
Girls learn to…
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Use talk to solve
problems or develop
strategy
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Speak in a way that
attracts attention
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Use communication to
create and maintain
relationships
Involve others in
conversations and
respond to their ideas
Show sensitivity to
others and to
relationships
1.
2.
Did you notice examples of rapport/report
talk in the clips? What did you notice?
Did you see the three rules of
communication for boys and girls in the
clips?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Public speaking vs. Private Speaking
Telling a story
Listening
Asking Questions
Conflict
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Women talk more than men in private
conversations.
In the public arena, men vie for ascendancy
and speak much more than women.
Men assume a lecture style to establish a
“one-up” position, command attention,
convey information, and insist on agreement.
Men’s monologue style is appropriate for
report, but not for rapport.
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Men tell more stories and jokes than do
women.
Telling jokes is a masculine way to negotiate
status.
Men are the heroes in their own stories.
When women tell stories, they downplay
themselves.
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Women show attentiveness through verbal
and nonverbal cues.
Men may avoid these cues to keep from
appearing “one-down.”
A woman interrupts to show agreement, to
give support, or to supply what she thinks the
speaker will say (a cooperative overlap).
Men regard any interruption as a power
move.
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Men don’t ask for help because it exposes
their ignorance.
Women ask questions to establish a
connection with others.
When women state their opinions, they often
use tag questions to soften the sting of
potential disagreement and to invite
participation in open, friendly dialogue.
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Men usually initiate and are more comfortable
with conflict.
To women, conflict is a threat to connection
to be avoided at all costs.
Men are extremely wary about being told
what to do.
Directions
1. Pick a partner, pick a card. Each card has
“type of talk”. This will be the theme for
your skit.
2. Take 5 minutes with your partner to craft a
skit based on the guidelines for your “type
of talk.”
3. Present your skit to the class.
4. Class will identify report-talk and rapporttalk.
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1.
2.
Identify male and female role
Identify specific examples of rapport-talk
and report-talk from skit.
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“A place of which to critically view the world
around us.“
Different elements craft standpoint
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Social status
Race
Religion
Gender
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Consider the person presented on the picture
on each slide.
Write a name or something you can identify
that person as.
Write two or three of your initial perceptions
of that person.
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Which picture did you find to be the most
likeable?
Which picture did you find to be least likable?
Are there any personal elements in your life
that may have contributed to how you
perceived each person? Examples?
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Consider the following:
 What standpoints are taken by the characters in the
clip?
 Do you see how each characters different
background affected their standpoint?
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Men and women communicate differently
It is important to recognize and understand
the differences in how men and women
communicate.
We should be able to recognize the ways in
which a person’s standpoint may vary
depending on multiple different elements