Speaking “Like a Man” in Teamsterville: Culture Patterns of Role Enactment in an Urban Neighborhood

TALK is not everywhere valued equally; nor is it anywhere valued equally in all social contexts. Speaking is an object of a high degree of interest, elaboration, and positive evaluation in some cultures, such as those of the Burundi ¹ and St. Vincentians ² but is relatively deemphasized in other cultures, such as those of the Paliyans ³ and La Have Islanders. ⁴ Cultures are not only varied but are also internally diverse in the emphasis they place on the value of talk; in all communities there are some situations in which “silence is golden” and some in which talk is the most valued mode of social behavior. ⁵ Each community has its own cultural values about speaking and these are linked to judgments of situational appropriateness.