Essay 3 – Relational Expectations: How have societal attitudes about sex roles and gender influenced a relationship that you have, have been in, or are familiar with?

Essay 3 – Relational Expectations:

How have societal attitudes about sex roles and gender influenced a 

relationship that you have, have been in, or are familiar with? 

Consider using the construct sets of “growing up masculine” or “growing up feminine” from the text. You may analyze romantic relationships, but may also choose to observe family dynamics, friendships, or work relationships as well.  Do these relational partners have shared ideas of gendered behaviors and attitudes, or are there distinctly different expectations? How are these communicated in the 

relationship? What models of gender did/do the relational partners (lovers, friends, family members, coworkers) have as influences? How is your (or their) cultural background a factor?

You are expected to apply the lecture and text material to your own experiences and thought processes in a 

series of essay assignments. 

These

3-4 FULL page

essays

should integrate our course topics and theoretical information 

with actual communication situations you have experienced or witnessed.

These are NOT summaries, interviews, or 

research papers! I am confident that you will learn more about gendered communication if you apply theoretical 

constructs to what you see and do in the world.

Analyze REAL-LIFE communication behaviors of your own, or interactions you’ve observed closely. You will 

become more proficient at seeing theoretical constructs when you regularly apply them as part of your everyday 

existence.   You will be analyzing how communication behaviors, cultural/societal attitudes, family interaction, etc. 

influence or are affected by gender theories. You need only use our text, lectures, films, and e-Resources to find your 

constructs.