Research Paper on:
Silence and its Communication Meaning

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
paper that reviews several articles on the topic. The ideas of Bagley, Gal, Olsen, Hooks and Tannen are discussed. Bibliography lists 5 sources. SA122sil.rtf What is silence and  what does it mean? In different situations it can of course mean different things. Today, in the school systems, silence is perceived as something that is not good. School psychologists  probe the quiet students. They are seen to be problematic, as they do not participate enough. They are sometimes labeled shy by their parents. But is silence really withdrawal or  is it saying something all its own? Susan Gal (1991) argues that silence in and of itself is not necessarily a sign of either passivity or powerlessness. Some authors concur.  Others do not. Bagley (1984) contends that silence can be just as loud as conversation. Many people would be hard-pressed to  understand this suggestion, particularly those who are themselves chatterboxes. They talk incessantly, and do not realize that perhaps their quiet cohorts-the mothers at their wits end, the woman down the  street who covers her black and blue marks with sweaters, and the bag lady-are each saying something by not verbalizing what they feel. Communication may be extracted from a glare  or a look, but silence is not synonymous with compliance or satisfaction. Silence does not mean everything is okay. It often means quite the opposite.  Bagley takes the notion a step further, contending that silence is not just something seen in unusual situations. She relates it to the female experience. She explains  that it is easier to keep quiet and keep harmony in the family (Bagley, 1984). Indeed, Bagley points to the blatant patriarchy in America today. Her ideas are somewhat the