Week 12, Post 1: Me Tarzan, You Jane

I really liked the section Chapter 34 about Women As A Marginalized Group. This section basically points out that men and women communicate differently. Julia Wood does not say that this is due to gender differences but rather "cultural expectations and the treatment that each group receives from the other" (444). It really all begins at birth. We "train" our children... we give girls dolls and dress them in pink. We give boys toy trucks and action figures. Essentially, boys and girls understand that they are treated a certain way. Harding and Wood also point out that not all men and women share the same standpoint. At one end of the spectrum, there are minority women, especially Black women who are lesbians. They "are almost always marginalized" (444).

This section also made me think of Tarzan and Jane as a good example of the difference between male and female communication. The way that Tarzan speaks is symbolic of how men communicate: straight to the point. Jane (who is also obviously more civilized) uses more words and uses her communication to build a relationship. We always think of men and women communicating differently, but when the standpoint theory is applied, it makes things more interesting.