gender differences

1. Identify the issue or problem that you plan to focus on in your Inquiry Project:

Differences in gender writing and/or speaking tendencies. Is there a difference? Are the differences genetic or are they social pressures and stereotypes that shape male and female writing?

2. What is your personal connection to and interest in this topic?

I have taken a writing intensive course called "The Mommy Wars." It explored mainly the debate of stay at home moms versus women in the workplace. I also took a class on psychoanalysis and feminism. These classes were very interesting to me, and although neither or them directly correlate with my topic idea, they both dealt with gender. I am interested to find if there are in fact differences in genders' writing/speaking to see if I have already fallen into the "trap" and how it happened.

3. What opinions do you already hold about this topic?

From what I know about social pressures and its effects on gender, I think women may try to have the male's voice in writing or speaking because men are viewed as more powerful and authoritative. I do think this is more than just a stereotype, because if society teaches you and portrays someone as powerful or nurtuing, perhaps they would be more apt to fall into that category. I'm not sure if or how these would carry over to writing though.

4. What knowledge do you already have about this topic. What are your main questions about this topic? What are you most curious about?

I am most curious to find out if there are gender tendencies in writing/speaking, what they are and why they are there. Is it the way men and women learn differently that makes their work different? Do steretypes and social issues affect writing? I'm not sure what issues or tendencies would be looked at to be able to point out tendencies since every writer is so different. How can someone be sure they have found gender tendencies rather than differences in writing styles? How can this be tested and researched?

5. How might composition theorists and researchers approach or study this topic? Does this approach differ from those of other related disciplines (such as communication studies)?

From a composition point of view, researchers may have studied male versus female's writing looking at specific areas that signify gender tendencies. Communication studies may look at social issues and how gender tendencies affect people in the workplace, everyday life in relationships and in speakers.

6. How could you research this topic outside the library (for example, through interviews and/or observations)?

I would love to talk to some of my communication professors to see what their take on gender tendencies in communications are.

I'm not sure how I would be able to fluidly connect writing with some aspect of communication's gender differences. Should I focus on public speakers, gender tendencies in relationships...? I have no idea!