Sociology 2370: Gender and US society Spring 2014 Graham/ Gale

Signature Assignment

By Jared Cowart SLCC E Portfolio

One option for the E portfolio assignment for Sociology 2370 is to select one of our reaction papers and expand on it. My topic #9 reaction paper is about typical communication in gender. It just so happened that our textbooks were very accurate in this particular topic and I believe this part to be true. It was also very surprising to me that the first three months of Sociology and Communication were almost identical. It was just the perception that was different. The end result of what we were learning was applied to two different platforms. The meaning and purpose remained the same.
My Reaction #9

Topic #9 Reaction paper Jared Cowart I was really surprised to see a textbook definition actually applied and be almost 100% correct. (Packet, Wood 108) For a very brief moment I thought that I had actually been able to identify one of the many differences between the way that my wife and I speak. It is not that either one of us is completely retarded but that we do not speak from the same intent as to what we want our message to be. The communication difference between genders has almost always been an issue. If I say something, she asks, me what do you mean? I almost instantly become frustrated and I repeat myself. I do not understand because I really do not mean anything other than what I have already said. I can relate this scenario to people asking this question, Why are you mad? in context of an offense that would make perfect sense. But out of that context the question is presumptuous and offensive. There is nothing the matter and yet people instantly

Sociology 2370: Gender and US society Spring 2014 Graham/ Gale

Signature Assignment

By Jared Cowart SLCC E Portfolio

assume that something is wrong. Why wouldnt someone just ask, How are you doing? It is a much more open question and you would not be inflicting your opinion onto anyone. I believe that humans naturally use assumptions to fill in the blanks/gaps, almost immediately upon the intake of whatever the information maybe. And before the message is even finished being delivered you have already inserted your own opinion and in really bad cases your own facts. This to me is a natural fault. And on the other hand I give a ton of detail that many people would not care to have. This tends to offend many people. End of Reaction #9 Some of the things that are so gendered based it quite amazing. Without this course I would not have known or realized just how much gender segregation there really is. Last week I heard this new commercial on the radio. The tagline, (Female voice with a tone of confidence) I can bake your apple pie and I change your oil had caught my attention because of the reference to the baking of the apple pie. The ad was for AutoZone. And the pitch was that the woman can be just as manly as you need her to be. The interesting component to me is that they had to start off by defining how much of a woman could change your oil because not every woman can bake an apple pie. To me this ad reinforces gender inequality and pushes the brink to break the mold of that same inequality at the same time, just for the purpose of being safe and not getting sued, stating and showing that it is alright for women to be able to service automobiles or bake an apple pie. The ad was cleverly written to speak to both guys and women. Another example is a quote of Pearl Jam, Are you woman enough to be my man? I believe that they are speaking of a woman being able to share the same burden and load as a man does. So that she would be able to better care for him and possibly even relieve him of some of his duties.

Sociology 2370: Gender and US society Spring 2014 Graham/ Gale

Signature Assignment

By Jared Cowart SLCC E Portfolio

Do men really have the upper hand though? Men are tough, physical, dirty, and our mouths are commonly just full of shit. But the actual physical changes are changed by man. And in most cases are even expected of man. The roads are built; the tractors are driven and repaired. However, Women make all of it possible. The major conflicts and differences stem from hundreds of years of human life and the fact that women are not always able to leave the home for hours on end or endless days out in search of food. Over the last century the technological changes and advancements that have been made to our lives have forced us to communicate in different manners and redefine almost all of our meanings. The rate of change has not been nothing short of unbelievable nor is it over. And until men and women both come to terms that they are both right there will be conflict and misunderstanding. In general, woman use verbal communication to express emotion to others and to learn about others and men use verbal communication to get the upper hand or to make accomplishments.