Deborah Tannen essay

A detailed Summary of Deborah Tannen essay

In contemporary society biological factors are no longer the sole components that distinguish men and women. Rather anything from clothing or hairstyles to make-up or accessories can indicate specific messages about an individual. According to Deborah Tannen, women are more frequently considered marked beings in our society while men have fewer clothing or style options and are therefore free to remain unmarked. Although Tannen argues that it is possible for men to remain purely "unmarked" her assertions do not hold up well in a changing world. Because the term "marked" is a social construction, it is not possible to remain completely unmarked, as styles and trends repeatedly change with different ages, generations, and geographic locations.

In her study Tannen reveals that among four women and eight men present during a business meeting the women had several more

According to Tannen, "each of the women at the conference had to make decisions about hair, clothing, make-up and accessories and each decision carried meaning.... men can choose style that are marked but they don't have to, and in this group none did." (231-2). Although Tannen makes the distinction between the style of men and women at a business conference, she fails to mention that their age and field of work influences what should be "marked vs. unmarked" and what styles appear appropriate vs. inappropriately. Clearly, Tannen states that all four women are marked yet some are considered more severely marked and judged than others are. Specifically, the women with the long, blond, hair, dressed in tight clothing and heels were more severely marked in Tannen's eyes. However, Tannen never mentions that in another profession, such as the entertainment or fashion industr

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 591
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: People

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Deborah Tannen essay

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