The Argument Culture By Deborah Tannen

Politics, in short, is divisive. Attending high school in a vibrant political climate like DC, I find difficulty avoiding political discussions as issues seen on Twitter feeds and classroom conversations frequently spill into heated lunchtime debates on immigration, gun control, and healthcare. At Visitation, one can either sidestep the conversation or fully engage. I chose the latter. But in the times that I am red in the face, attempting to digest the opinions of my hyper-conservative counterparts, I remember an important message from Teddy Roosevelt’s “Man in the Arena” speech: “It’s not the critic who counts… the credit goes to the man who is actually in the arena…” Roosevelt’s words challenge me daily to strive for political change in

Have we become a world that has forgotten how to listen and debate? Why are people so quick to argue? Everyone wants to prove their point these days. In “The Argument Culture,” Deborah Tannen discusses how today’s society no longer honors the noble American tradition of debate. She explains how we no longer want to take the time to listen to both sides and definitely not all sides of an issue. We have become a society that would rather fight and argue, often to the point of violence.

Deborah Tannen's book, The Argument Culture, is a compelling piece that looks at the perceived "argument culture" that is permeating the United States and the West in general. I do agree with what Ms. Tannen is saying, that there is a form of argument culture, but I think it could be argued that there is a contrasting part of American society called a "nice culture" as well. On the one hand, you have people who will argue about topics whenever the opportunity arises, but on the other hand you have people who will avoid confrontation at all costs. Ms. Tannen somewhat acknowledges other ethnic cultures in the United States that tend to argue in different ways, "You do not have to go to a foreign country to experience these cultural differences [of how people argue in different cultures.] Americans of different ethnic backgrounds can experience them just by making friends." (Tannen, 211)Acknowledging ethnic culture differences is important but to homogenize it into just an argument culture is wrong.It could still be argued that there is a converse culture in the United States that is based around niceness and civility. You can see it in the world around you where you are taught to use your manners as much as possible or in fast food jobs where workers are supposed to be as "nice" as possible and if anybody makes a mistake they are supposed to apologize as sincerely as possible. Another example of this nice culture is contrast to the argument culture is when adults are arguing

Again, I would like to rebut Gee’s claim by adding my belief that the perceived value of the person and or group applying the criticism has a lot to do with the way the criticism can be received to effect change within a discourse. This belief ties in perfectly with the next statement made by Gee, which I shall now address, as within that very same point Gee writes, ‘But what one cannot do is stand outside all discourse and criticize any one or all of them – that would be like trying to repair a jet in flight by stepping outside it.’ In my estimation, Gee’s loses his argument here when he chooses to speak in this all-encompassing term, as by crafting this sentence in such a manner he essentially paints himself into a corner. In our culture any individual or group (regardless of background, religion, education, experience, etc.,) has the right of freedom of speech and as such may freely criticize whatever another person or group

On 7/09/2015, at 1916 hours, I was on duty, in uniform, and driving a marked police vehicle (0913). Off. Martin and I were dispatched to the Gateway Transit Center (115 E Front Street - which is in the city limits of Port Angeles, Clallam County, Washington State) on report that Jodi Schweitzer was trying to start fights with others present.

Do teachers have a right to free speech in the workplace and can comments on personal beliefs and views be grounds for dismissal? In a fictional situation, teacher Ann Griffin is dismissed from her position as a tenured teacher after a conversation she had involving the Principal and Vice Principal in which she made the comment that she “hated all black folks.” Ann Griffin was teaching at a predominantly African-American school and after this heated conversation, the Principal Fred Watts recommended Griffin’s dismissal based on doubting her ability to treat students fairly and questioning her judgment and competency as a teacher. Was the Principal justified in dismissing Ms. Griffin? Should Ms. Griffin’s speech be protected as a First Amendment right? What precedence can be found both supporting Ms. Griffin’s dismissal and also to support her continued employment?

The nation’s bigot community has been in hysterics over the past few months after Target announced that it would allow transgender people to use the restroom and fitting rooms that correspond with their gender identities.

I believe Connie was murdered and raped by Arnold. I wish that was the case that he dropped her off at the hospital or even back at home with her family. Like you stated, I highly doubt he had a change of heart. She was a misguided teen who wanted to be more mature than she actually was. A sad story that left us all guessing what happened to her. The kid defiantly had a lot of mental issues.

Mike’s American is a cozy and welcoming multi-story institution of an eatery, serving delectable American fare. Appetizer options, such as the hot spinach and artichoke dip with parmesan and jack cheeses and the crunchy, spicy firecracker shrimp, are fun to share and make for great starters. Popular entrée items include the beer-marinated drunken ribeye with redskin potatoes, the roast half chicken in a brown butter sauce and the hickory-grilled fish of the day. Mike’s American also has a tantalizing array of burgers, including the vegetarian-friendly veggie patty made with quinoa, rice, black beans and beets and the classic bacon cheeseburger topped with homemade, spicy “wicked sauce”. And it doesn’t get more American than with the deep dish

On July 27, 2004, Barack Obama delivered a keynote address at the Democratic National Convention that catapulted him onto the national stage and decidedly set in motion the rest of his political career. In it, Obama addresses controversial topics while simultaneously maintaining an underlying theme of collaboration and common experiences. His arguments can be comprehensively analyzed following the Toulmin model of argumentation. This model consists primarily of a claim, which is the assertion the rhetor attempts to prove, supporting evidence for the claim, and a warrant connecting the evidence to the claim. Secondary elements of this model include backing supporting the warrant, the

My argument is about a family show on television called “The Fosters,” people assume this tv show is not appropriate for all ages.

A woman was admitted to the Toronto refuge and analyzed as agony from insanity, a not extraordinary determination for women, and a stage past mania. The reason referred to by specialists for the persistent madness was lactation. This was one of the scores of cases referred to by Wendy Mitchinson in her history of the medicinal treatment of women in Victorian Canada. The cases, consolidated with the restorative writing of the period, mirror the general public's distractions, both among the all-inclusive community and the therapeutic calling. Most importantly, they show in sharp detail the general public's view of women. For most therapeutic specialists, the male body was taken to be the standard; women were other. Specialists were

Alicia’s survival during the Holocaust depended on her ability to prevent her emotions and age from restraining her. For instance, when her mother was shot by the Schutzstaffel, Alicia “wished at that moment to be dead by her [mother’s] side. But somehow [Alicia’s] legs carried [her] away” (Appleman-Jurman 221). Alicia’s body acted independently of her mind, revealing that her spirits do not have the power to influence her physical body. Because eyes are frequently associated with one’s soul and spirits, not including eyes in the figure represents the lack of power the spirits have. Thus, the empty eye sockets represent Alicia’s refusal to allow her emotions to influence her decisions. Furthermore, when the head of Brecha, the group that smuggles

In the excerpt by Deborah Tannen entitled, The Argument Culture: Moving from Debate to Dialogue Tannen speaks about the oppositional nature of public discourse. She expressed her thoughts on how we are determined to seek certainty by using arguments from two different standpoints, as if there are no additional angles that can be examined. Oftentimes, there are more than two sides of an issue, but due to the way society has taught us, we only look at issues from two extreme perspectives. I find Dr. Tannen to be extremely intelligent in her observations of how people communicate using debates and opposition as a means to express what we believe to be true. Although Americans habitually view issues from only two extreme points of view, dialogue solves more problems than debates because it does not cause division among people as frequently as debates does.

It is often assumed that failure is a deterrent to achievement. Rather, failure should be seen as a motivator for a person to keep trying until the objective or aim of a particular mission is fulfilled.