Assuming that boys are socialized to be more confident, bold, and outspoken, the end result is that men will end up talking over women. In an open forum setting, such as a professional or educational one, when the floor is open to anyone, it seems like men are more likely to speak up first.
Part of me thinks, “Well, anyone can speak if they wanted to! If I can count to ten and still be the first to talk, then so be it!” But part of me also wants to help uplift others and give them a chance to speak.
How might men navigate this?
When dealing with small groups, I ask participants for their perspective by name. The loudest doesn’t go first, and everyone gets equal-ish time. That doesn’t scale to a large forum though.