S. Duck et Ph. Wright, REEXAMINING GENDER DIFFERENCES IN SAME-GENDER FRIENDSHIPS - A CLOSE LOOK AT 2 KINDS OF DATA, Sex roles, 28(11-12), 1993, pp. 709-727
The present paper examines the widely accepted claim that women's and
men's friendships can be characterized dichotomously as ''expressive.'
' vs. ''instrumental,'' or alternatively, as ''communal'' vs. ''agenti
c. '' After addressing questions about the empirical support for this
claim, we present analyses based on two different kinds of data. Subje
cts providing these data were predominantly, although possibly not exc
lusively, Caucasian U.S. citizens. Study One analyzed the purposes of
interaction endorsed by women and men in reports of actual meetings wi
th same-sex friends. Women and men did not differ in the purposes repo
rted, as both indicated meeting most often just to talk, less often to
work on a task, and least often to deal with a relationship issue per
tinent to the friendship. Study Two analyzed responses to a form asses
sing various aspects of the strength and quality of subjects' same-gen
der friendships. Although women and men differed on a number of variab
les, the differences did not form an expressive vs. instrumental dicho
tomy. We discuss an altered perspective on the differences and similar
ities in women's and men's friendships suggested by these results.