Philip Blumstein

Sex and Power in Interaction: Conversational Privileges and Duties

This paper examines conversational behavior which previous research suggests is differentiated on the basis of sex. Interaction is conceptualized in terms of a sexual division of labor wherein men dominate conversation and women behave in a supportive manner. The literature raises the question of whether these differences in conversational patterns are tied to power as well as sex. A study was designed to determine which of a set of variables reflecting conversational duties and privileges are linked to power, to sex, or to both. The data were coded from interactions of intimate couples divided among those with both partners sharing power equally and those where one partner has more power. Three types of couples were compared: cross-sex couples, male couples, and female couples. Interruptions and back channels are linked to power regardless of the sex of the actor, as are tag questions, although the rarity of their occurrence makes any conclusions tentative. The more powerful person interrupts his or her partner more and produces lower rates of back channels and tag questions. Talking time and question asking seemed linked to both sex and power, though not in any simple way. The results of the analyses of minimal responses and overlaps proved inconclusive.

THE HONORING OF ACCOUNTS

An experiment within a questionnaire was designed to isolate factors that would predict the honoring of accounts. Subjects acted as bystanders and read short vignettes describing an interaction containing an offense by one actor, a demand for an account by the other, and an account by the former. The context and offense, the type of account, and the status relationship between demander and accounter were systematically varied. After reading each vignette, subjects rated the offense, the demand, the account, and the accounter on several dimensions. Factors found to affect the prediction of honoring behavior were: the moral worth of the offender, his penitence, his superior status relative to the demander, and the offensiveness of the violation. Honorability was predicted by moral worth, the offenders personal control over the offense, and the appropriateness of the demand. Differences in the prediction of honoring behavior and honorability were discussed.

Bisexuality in women

In-depth interviews with women having a history of bisexual behavior and/or a bisexual self-identification revealed only moderate correspondence between behavior and identity. A general description is provided of the sexual relationships of the respondents. The major focus is on the wide diversity of self-identified bisexual women, especially in terms of self-perceived sexual and emotional needs, circumstances precipitating heterosexual and homosexual behavior, and ideological supports for a bisexual life style. Heterosexual behavior among homosexual women is discussed in terms of economic necessity, experimentation, and the response of the lesbian community. Homosexual behavior among heterosexual women is discussed in terms of responses to different kinds of situational exigencies and the rationalizations used to deal with the experience while insulating the heterosexual self-identification.

Bisexuality in Men

one must show erotic distaste (not merely neutrality) toward other males, and that one must demonstrate competent performance in the heterosexual arena. Just as overt homosexual behavior implies impaired masculinity in the popular imagination, so too, any failure of proper male sex-role enactment suggests an increased likelihood of homosexuality. Androgynous appearance, &dquo;effeminate&dquo; gestures or mannerisms, a typically female occupation, or any of a number of other genderinappropriate behaviors are likely to label a man homosexual. Conversely, homosexuals without gender-inappropriate gestures, occupations, or

The Judgment of Equity in Intimate Relationships

This paper examines how individuals in intimate relationships come to decide whether their relationship is equitable. We study two types of intimate relationships-married couples and heterosexual cohabiting couples-using questionnaire data to analyse how a variety of factors affect the judgment of equity. We examine characteristics concerned with traditional role differentiation, the functioning of the couple as a small group, and status-conferring attributes. Our results show striking differences from one type of actor to another in the resources that are related significantly to the judgment of equity and in the impact of different classes of variables on equity