Turn Taking in Academic Meetings at Hebron University: A Socio-Linguistic Study

Abstract

The paper examined the gender differences with reference to turn taking phenomenon in academic settings at Hebron University. The analysis relied on naturally occurring data that were gathered from two different academic meetings that took place in Department of English at Hebron University during the spring semester of 2016. This research aimed at providing empirical evidence regarding gender stereotypes; the extent to which these stereotypes accurate. The findings indicated that females are more likely to take turns in conversation which supports the proposal that women’s greater turn taking rates can be attributed to interpersonal sensitivity rather than lack of assertiveness.