On 20/09/2007, Sheldon Rampton sheldon@prwatch.org wrote:
I think the problem is that the specific assertion that was made here ("women are more likely to wander off-topic in a discussion than men")
That was not the assertion. The assertion was that feminine communication techniques, e.g. indirectness and focusing on feelings, may be seen as off-topic by those who practise more masculine communication techniques, e.g. directness and hiding emotions. You will also note that the email challenges the definition of what is on-topic vs. off-topic.
is debatable at best and can be interpreted as insulting to women as rational beings.
As a woman, I'm insulted that feminine communication techniques are considered inferior to masculine ones. Whether you want to expand your definition of on-topicness to include feminine indirectness and discussion of feelings or acknowledge that off-topicness can be a good thing, I don't really care. However, saying that directness and avoidance of discussion of feelings is the correct conversational method increases the masculine-dominated aura of the list.
I'm unaware of any body of scientific research showing that men are more likely to stay on-topic an women.
Well, women, on average, have tear ducts 60% larger than men's. There's a fair amount of business advice encouraging women to adopt masculine communication techniques. And there are Debora Tannen's books....