Conversation openings used by male and female students of Petra Christian University

Praduto, Pending Nilo (2002) Conversation openings used by male and female students of Petra Christian University. Bachelor thesis, Petra Christian University.

Abstract

This study investigates ways of conversation opening of male and female students of Petra Christian University and the influence of gender on the choice of way of conversation opening. In order to categorize the types of ways of conversation opening, the writer uses Sacks' classification which includes Question/Request Information, Greetings, Challenges, Offers, Address another person, Compliments, Invitation, Announcement, and Stereotyped Expression or Topic, and so on. The subjects of this study are 30 male and 30 female students of Petra Christian University and taken randomly without considering their social background, but only their sexes. To collect the data, the writer records the natural conversation in daily interaction. From the analysis, the writer finds that both male and female students almost use all types of way of conversation opening classified by Sacks, but there are differences in term of frequency of each type of way of conversation opening used by male and female. Moreover, there is one type which is used by male, but not by female, that is, challenge. And there are two types which are not used by both male and female students, namely, greeting, and announcement. Meanwhile, the gender differences of the subjects influences the choice of way of conversation opening. In this case, to open conversation, male students have more tendency to maintain social relationship than female students, and show macho connotations of masculinity and toughness, while female students tend to involve personal styles which usually include personal feeling.

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