Why Do Girls Play Dumb?

We all notice it, but what do women really want, what are their true intentions when playing dumb? While reading the following in Goffman’s paper, "… girls, do and no doubt do, play down their intelligence, skills, and determination when in presence of datable boys,” I couldn’t agree more.

However, I wouldn’t necessarily say that this demonstrates superiority of males. I’d argue that girls only do this to get what they want. So who is superior in those sorts of situations? The male whom is falling for such an obvious technique by a woman manipulating the situation to get what she wants? At least woman are intentionally dumbing down their intelligence, where as men have no idea they are being coerced.  

In finding Jones (cited below) article, 'There is nothing wrong with appearing weak or asking for help. It's a way of being able to rub along with the other sex. Women like to be flattered, while men like to be made to feel strong, and clever.' This is seen in many every day interactions, like male police officers, male doctors, male managers, they all thrive by the power of being superior. But so do woman.

I think woman like, “wearing the pants,” just as much as men. They just go about attaining it differently. However, maybe woman need to try what men do, speak and perform confidence, “If you speak with confidence, most people think you're right. Try it. That's what men do,' if works for men, it should work for women. 

“Girls' night out again, love?

  Yes, lots of gossip about make-up and shoes...

  ...Before we move on to Plato and quantum physics.”

Jones, L. 2011, "Why DO smart girls dumb down for men?" Eire region. Daily Mail, pp. 46. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/docview/851927405/fulltext?accountid=15112

Goffman, E. 1971, "Performances." Pp.28-82 in The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Harmondsworth: Penguin. 

Librarians, you, me and ceremonial behaviour.

I found a reading that references Goffman’s ceremonial behaviour, something that was also discussed in our readings (for those of you whom haven’t read it...yet)! In reading the article, “Librarian’s experiences of the teaching role: Grounded in Campus“ (Julien & Pecoskie, 2009), I stumbled across a piercing statement from one of the librarians, “She even sent me a thank you card afterwards!... they may be thankful but they [usually] don’t bother,” Martin said (p.152).

People day by day go about their business and when they do something to help another person out, regardless of whether they had to or not, our society within these particular relationships with others we look for acknowledgement or praise for doing nice things.

Maybe relevant or not but before, a basket of biscuits dropped to your door step was a perfectly normal form of gift giving and form of a thank you gesture. These days... that [usually] never happens. Why have we steered so far away from traditional acts and become more rehearsed in communications of awareness?

“As long as they acknowledge it, it makes it all alright?”

When I first came to Australia, I did not really understand why there was so much fuss about Australia becoming more and more like America. I suppose in this case, from experience, I know that in American traditional gestures and the reasoning for not doing more of them would simply be put as… “Because there is no time, I am just always so busy.” I’m interested to see if Australians too, would respond the same way! If so, what does this mean? 

Article Info:
http://www.sciencedirect.com.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/science/article/pii/S0740818809000565

Julien, H. & Pecoskie J.L. 2009, "Librarians' experiences of the teaching role: Grounded in campus relationships", Library; Information Science Research, Volume 31, Issue 3, pp149-154, ISSN 0740-8188, 10.1016/j.lisr.2009.03.005.

Goffman, E 1967, "The nature of deference and demeanor", in Interaction Ritual: Essays on Face-to-Face Behaviour, Doubleday, Garden City, NY, pp47-95.

Week 4 Group Presentation: Symbolic Interactionism

http://prezi.com/qfbin6njfl0p/symbolic-interactionism/