Agonistic What?!

I felt that this essay was a little too long and a bit boring. But there were some good points on how to successfully argue a point by looking at both sides of a debate. It is about moving away from the narrow view of debate in which we " can develop more varied and more constructive ways of expressing opposition and negotiating disagreement." (250)
" We don't have to make others wrong to prove that we're right." When we read we should read everything as a beleiving game. " Read as if you beleived, and see where it takes you, then go back and ask whether you want to accept or reject elements in the argument." (248)
While talking about debating and arguing I felt that Tannen was being a bit stereotypical towards women. She makes it seem that women are very timid and unargumentative. "Among the potential liabilities is the risk that women students may be less likely to take part in classroom discussions that are framed as arguements between opposing sides." (239)
In my experience this is not true. In most of my debates in my clasess women speak up just as much if not more then the men.