Construction of Gender in Adolescents' Dyadic Conversations

Abstract

In this study, interactional strategies and tools utilized in recordings of adolescents' conversations about gender stereotypes were analyzed by using conversation analysis. The participants divided into same-gender (10 woman-woman and 10 man-man) and mixed-gender dyads (10 woman-man) with an age range of 11-14, were asked to talk about 6 picture cards each with a question regarding a gender stereotype. Analysis of recorded conversations revealed that interruptions were used by all gender groups however differ-ently in accordance with the previous studies about performance of gender in talk. The frequency of verbal interruptions were similar in same-gender dyads. In mixed-gender dyads, however, interruptions were done mostly by men. The implications of these results will be discussed in terms of literature on gender construction in verbal interactions.