17. 'I Totally Agree With You': Gender Interactions in Educational Online Discussion Groups

I have found, especially in this class, that I use "I" more when I am on the discussion boards (or even in this sentence). This prevalence is partly due to the fact that most of the class members are of my same gender, as reflected in the article. I have taken other online classes and have come to points of contention with other male members by there lack of respect when countering an argument or statement I have made. In one such instance in an online research class at Fresno City College, a male classmate criticized my rationale that I had trouble finding credible resources on the web. He highlighted my statement in his response to my post and stated that he found it hard to believe that I had made any real effort to look for sources. I took offense to his accusation and replied that I stood behind my comment and if he was so sure of my findings then he could look for himself. He replied to my comment that maybe I should start taking "meds" to control my anger. My initial response was not more anger, but a resolve that maybe he was right. I ended up apologizing for my initial response. I think this exemplifies the point the article is making about the dominant group having control of the nature of language used. It was obvious that this class was predominantly male by the class roster and indicated by this man's use of abrasive language to prove his point and one down his adversary, me. Since then I have learned to defend myself and not back down in an online setting regardless of male or female group dominance. As an analytical essay writer, I have used this technique to argue my point in spite of the fact that my words as a women will be attacked more because of the predominance of males in most literary canons. I think I fit into these findings, unfortunately, but believe that with more awareness, I can express myself in a balanced way, regardless of gender dominance.