Katie Cervoni

Genderlect Theory
App log
The main idea through the genderlect theory by Tannen is that masculinity;
femininity and androgynous character traits are not related to sex or sexual identity
but are socially constructed. Tannen believes that male and female are biological
assignments of gender, and that masculinity, femininity and androgynous
characteristics are not contingent upon ones biological makeup. Social construction
and gender stereotyping are two environmental factors that define the attributes
that each gender should have and be held accountable to.
I have definitely seen this played out a lot in society and in the identity of
people. The ideas of femininity and masculinity have been connected with biological
gender for much of my memory. I have began to separate the two in the past few
years, but it is still a part of gender stereotyping that I need to stop. The best
example I have seen of this theory is the exercise we did in class today, and how Dr.
Fiebig debriefed the conversation.