Gender
Sex and Gender in Friendships and Intimacy
In the episode Marriage of Figaro (C), we see several examples of gender differences in communication. Pete has just returned to work from his honeymoon. The other junior executives welcome him back by teasing him about his honeymoon activities. When Pete opens the door to his office, he finds a Chinese family and several chickens inside, as a joke played on him by his friends.
This scene ties in well with Guerrero's idea of men having agentic friendships, focused on companionship and shared activities (4). According to Guerrero, "sharing adventures, telling stories, doing physical labor, working on a joint project, taking a fishing trip, and serving in the army are all experiences that develop and sustain closeness in their own way (4)." The male junior executives at Sterling Cooper work together on projects on a daily basis, go out together at night, and show their affection through teasing each other. (Photo: see Notes, d) |
Friendships Among Women
Marriage of Figaro (C) also illustrates that women's friendships are centered in dialogue. Betty and Francine are getting snacks ready for Sally's birthday party. They talk the entire time they are working about a wide variety of topics, including Francine's pregnancy cravings, the party, the scandalous divorcée neighbor, and Don working on Sally's playhouse.
According to F.J. Johnson's piece "Friendship Among Women: Closeness in Dialogue," women's friendships are centered in conversation (5). According to Johnson, "talking often occurs as the explicit agenda for women friends, as in conversing over coffee or a meal or just sitting down to talk, but it can also be central in the context of other activities such as going for a walk, shopping, bowling, or picking berries (5)." The author also states that women befriend other women with similar life positions or from the same class (6), which is true for Betty and Francine as they are both well off housewives. (Photo: see Notes, e) For more information on references; see Notes. |