The Wright Foundation for the Realization of Human Potential is a leadership institute located in Chicago, Illinois. Wiley-Blackwell, 168-85. Gender Influences on Communication Although we may think that our surroundings and upbringings are the influence on how we communicate, there is also a large significance of how we practice communication, which directly correlates with how each gender shapes communication. Obviously, gender portrayals are going to be extremely sensitive to context, and while we can’t imagine all the possible situations in which you might be communicating and interacting with others, there are two contextual dimensions that pervade the research: (1) Are you speaking in public or private? Rate the student’s communication behaviors on each of the six. Gender stereotypes strongly influence our judgments of individuals. Please note that we are not talking about biological sex here, but about the culture-specific and dynamic ways that we perform gender, turning up or down the dial as needed. Whether it is with words, tone of voice, emotional expression, or body language, the way in which males and females communicate have been explored in a variety of ways to distinguish the characteristics that makes us so different (Disch, 2009). (Not that these are entirely separate issues, as the vast majority of public contexts are mixed-sex.). For example, the ancient Egypt was a very sexualized culture devoid of social stigmas. So a flat, unexcited “I haven’t seen you for a long time. They are more focused on establishing and maintaining contacts and sharing opinions and emotions. Women can be loud and assertive like comedian and political activist Juana Change, who does not mince her words when it comes to politics. It’s frustrating to be talked down to. It is a genetic predisposition. An abundance of intensifiers might seem to indicate that the speaker would not expect to be taken seriously otherwise (and is thus weak). It describes nurture and environment as the triggers for genetic functions, which means without a suitable environment, many genes actually remain dormant, and never become activated, unless given a specific trigger in the environment, at a specific time. One area in which the disparity in communication styles can lead to inequality simply based on our biology is in schools and the workplace. In heterosexual romantic situations, each sex tends to emphasize traditional gender stereotypes to express interest in the other. For more on exploring masculine and feminine roles and strengths, join us for a Men’s Leadership or Women’s Essential Experience Weekend Retreat. Visit us at the Wright Foundation to learn more. Although it may seem that the female communication style might be the weaker form, it can also be said that females are more able to establish a rapport that encourages response because of their ability to empathize and connect. Note that intensifiers may actually co-occur with hedges in the same sentence, are typically said with contrastive stress and express emotion (both independent characteristics of feminine style), so an excited “That guy is just SOOO fast!” seems much more “feminine” than a matter-of-fact “That guy is fast.”. The way in which men and women communicate, whether through verbal or nonverbal means, can present differences in how the speaker and the addressee are perceived (Steckler, & Rosenthal, 1985). Some women adopt a breathy tone when attempting to sound more feminine (so we actually hear their breathing more as they speak). Likewise, a man feels more comfortable admitting to sadness, jealousy, and fear when speaking privately to women, and will often use a more feminine style to go with the more “feminine” emotions in that situation. Men are highly stigmatized in our society if they sound too feminine, so they tend to shift less than women do, but there are certainly times when they, too, might “turn down the manly man act” to better connect with others and turn it up again to compete. As for the gender issue, men have tendencies to be less emotional, brutal, careless, and such and such. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to use informational language for report, not interpersonal language for rapport. An all-girl rugby team is likely to take on a very masculine style in the locker room as they gear up for the aggression of the game! Practically everything is assigned a gender—toys, colors and clothes are some of the more obvious examples. Whether it is verbal/nonverbal, oral/written, formal/informal, or intentional/ unintentional, communication is effective if the Speaker uses verbal and nonverbal communication efficiently in sending the Message to the Listener. This is strictly a UOIT student-run blog about culture and communication in the age of globalization. A lot of media attention has been devoted to the idea that women and men communicate very differently—in fact, it is sometimes stated that women and men communicate so differently from one another that they must come from different planets! Many researchers have tried to explain the reasons why female communication style is so incomprehensible for males. With these topics, the men and boys are more likely to "emphasize directive, task-oriented communication." Now, with access to mass media and social media—both as reader and writer—Filipino women write beyond what was once thought to be safe topics for women. On the other hand, as part of the “aggressive/competitive” stereotype, a man might become increasingly loud while arguing, while a woman would be judged more harshly for displaying this masculine behavior. Gendered cultural norms such as emotional expression and communication styles are both learned in childhood through interactions with family members and friends. Krolokke, Charlotte & Ann Scott Sorensen. Holmes, Janet & Miriam Meyerhoff (Eds.) Recently, I’ve been hearing a lot about the topic of “mansplaining.” This is where men barge into a conversation with a woman and condescendingly explain to her what it really means. Perhaps your father was emotionally distant and mysterious, so you’ve viewed men as a quiet and enigmatic. It is commonly generalized that females communicate in a more indirect, elaborate, and emotional, sense that can reflect uncertainty, tentativeness, and a lack of authority. Welcome to Culture Central! One little comment: I have been told by members of the transgender community that the preferred term is ‘transgender individuals’, not ‘transgendered individuals’. Wright Foundation for the Realization of Human Potential. Gender Influences on Communication Although we may think that our surroundings and upbringings are the influence on how we communicate, there is also a large significance of how we practice communication, which directly correlates with how each gender shapes communication. You need to know how to communicate between genders to keep the peace. There are many genes that are only given the opportunity to activate if a certain environmental condition allowed for it. Women become the sacrificial zinc anodes of the office. Even though, naturally, men speak slightly less than women, it is not true that they have nothing in common when it comes to sending text messages. Day in and day out we’re surrounded by and interacting with people from both genders. Our personalities have much to do with our nature and early nurture than our gender. While males are perceived to have a communication style that is direct, succinct, and instrumental. This is especially likely to be interpreted as a sign of flirting, however (since breathing rate accelerates as people become sexually excited), and so you might want to avoid it when you are not trying to send flirty signals. Many women find it advantageous to speak in a somewhat more masculine way at school and in the workplace, to be taken seriously and to compete with men in public situations (or, when they feel threatened, in order to appear tougher), but may “turn up” the femininity when trying to connect on a more social level.