Students in Greg Goodale’s advocacy writing class are in the middle of a passionate discussion about the ways men and women communicate – dissecting the differences in tone of voice, word use, and body language.
And they have thoughts.
“To the point about women not having to perform to other women, I disagree. Every single interaction you have with someone is a performance,” says Maeve Martin, one of many active participants in the communication professor’s class.
Goodale quickly follows up.
“Who is harder to perform for?” he asks.
“Women,” Martin says without hesitation. “Men are simple.”
The class bursts into laughter, easing the tension. The topic of gender communication and societal gender perceptions can be highly charged, but students say Goodale’s warm approach and focus on classroom interactions has created a safe space for open…