Cultural Anthropology Women and Men

Question: Discuss about the Cultural Anthropology for Women and Men. Answer: Introduction: Tannens article presents a perfect reflection of the human relationships in the contemporary world across all cultures. That is, the authors arguments indicate the realities evidenced by the distinct differences between the male and female genders. Notably, the aspect of gender inequalities is a major factor that has been disputed for a very long time now. Besides, Tannens arguments regarding hierarchical patterns in the society are real and apply to all cultures. Significantly, numerous communities aim at enhancing women empowerment as well as justice and gender equalities. However, there is a slow progress due to the broadly accepted beliefs regarding men as being superior to women. There is a common perception across all cultures regarding the superiority of the male gender over the female gender. Hence, women are often supposed to behave in a passive manner to the needs and demands of their male counterparts. As a result, there are various cases of marriage failures and subsequent divorces mainly caused by the gender hierarchies that place women below men in the society. In other words, men embrace the traditional norms that permit them to boss around the women. The social norms play a key role in determining the kind of relationship existing between different genders. Moreover, most men often tend to exhibit their superiority especially in the presence of other members of the society. The author gives a relevant example whereby an individual asked his fiance to keep her voice down because he did not want other people to think that he was being ordered around by a woman. Most importantly, Tannen has addressed the issue of communication which also reflects the manifestation of gender hierarchy evidenced between the dominant men and inferior women. Additionally, the author has discussed the aspect of negotiation alongside communication and how it affects human relations. Besides, men often feel offended, and their authority undermined when women tend to offer to help or make suggestions particularly those involving sensitive issues such as spending. Consequently, the males in almost all societies assume the role of being decision makers. On the contrary, the women are obliged to seek the husbands approval or opinion before making an absolute decision. Furthermore, Tannens arguments are relevant in all cultural contexts as evidenced in the distinct behaviors between boys and girls across the globe. That is, the notion of male dominance is often instilled in the minds of children whereby boys grow up aware of their superiority complex as compared to girls who are often taught to be submissive to the males. Additionally, it is the nature of almost all boys to satisfy their individual demands such as the desire to be a winner and regarded as a hero among others. Girls on the other hand often embrace the spirit of togetherness as opposed to the individual nature of boys. Lastly, despite the diversity of various people across the globe, it is evident that Tannens arguments reflect the realities of human relationships alongside the conformity to the social norms that shape gender hierarchies. References Tannen, D. (1991). You just dont understand- women and men in conversation. New York: Ballantine Books, 23-48.