Verified Document

Gender Communication And Language Term Paper

Gender Communication and Language In the "enlightened" age of the 21st century, it appears logical to assume that men and women are finally accepted as equally competent and intelligent, both in the workplace and social settings. It is therefore interestingly shocking that communication studies reveal wide-ranging differences in the way in which men and women communicate. Many of these communication styles date from social systems where women were seen as incompetent and weak, whereas men were the competent, eloquent sector of society. While society consciously accepts that gender differences do not extend to the mental faculties of the average man or women, these assumed differences still operate very much on a subconscious level. This view is explored by examining a variety of communicative settings, including workplace, social and online communication.

According to a report by Vanfossen, women in formal group, meetings tend to display a subordinate disposition in relation to men. Men for example gain the floor more easily than do women, and keep the floor for longer. Furthermore...

Interruptions from women also tend to be directed towards women speakers rather than men, while men in general interrupt more often than women.
In informal settings on the other hand, where there is a collaborative effort of participants, women tend to display a fuller range of language ability (Vanfossen). Communicatively, women thus function better in a setting where the assumed gender roles are less individualistic and more collaborative. In informal, social settings the same tendency as in the workplace is evident. Men tend to talk longer than women, even when they are at the same level of expertise as women. Also, men initiate interaction on a more regular basis than women.

Vanfossen further finds that, while women are generally expected to be less competent and assertive than men, this expectation is altered when women are known to occupy positions of power. It is thus possible to cultivate an awareness of language use and to alter the perceptions bred over centuries of oppression. This will however take time,…

Sources used in this document:
Bibliography

Athenstaedt, Ursula. "Gender role self-concept and gender-typed communication behavior in mixed-sex and same-sex dyads." In Sex Roles: A Journal of Research, January, 2004.

Vanfossen, Beth. "Gender Differences in Communication." Institute for Teaching and Research on Women, Towson University, 1996. http://pages.towson.edu/itrow/wmcomm.htm

We, Gladys. "Cross-Gender Communication in Cyberspace." Department of Communication, Simon Fraser University, 1993. http://eserver.org/feminism/cross-gender-comm.txt
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Gender Communications for Many Years
Words: 1198 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Men tend to talk more than women do and have habit of talking over them or interrupting them when they are speaking. In the nonverbal sense, some the differences from men and women are the majority of men do not interpret body language, a nod from a woman means to a man that she agrees with what he is saying and that she is listening to what he is saying.

Gender Communication Most People Are
Words: 1620 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

In a situation where the domain of the opposite gender is simply different than that of the other this can occur. Using the previous stereotypical example when a woman drones on and on about some aspect of cooking that is important to her but not to the male listener in the room, the quite participant may simply "tune out" and the same is true of a man speaking within

Gender and Language Men and
Words: 303 Length: 1 Document Type: Thesis

These and other linguistic phenomenon can be traced to social status issues, just as the class notes suggest. I would further hypothesize that uncertainty in women's speech is directly related to women's lower social status vs. men. Women are socialized to be less domineering than men are and their speech may reflect that. In the class notes, this phenomenon is referred to as cooperative speech vs. aggressive speech. Likewise, women are

Communication and Gender in Movies
Words: 1450 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Communication and Gender in Movies Cinematic Gender Communication Gender plays a fairly important role in regards to communication and its effectiveness and nuances. This fact is largely due to the immense value which people have always placed upon language, which can be thought of as a means of identifying and, in some instances, even defining what it means to be of a particular gender since "communication is thought to be, at once,

Genders and Linguistics Many Studies
Words: 1612 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

Women speak more dramatically and colorfully than men. But they are a phenomenon of gender rather than a biological consequence. Amos (2012) proposes that the body language expressions of the sexes depend on their distinctive behaviors and purposes. Some are programmed and some are learned. Cameron (2007), however, disputes that these differences are only a myth. A study disproves the claim that these differences come from the unequal roles

Communication Theory Is Described As Any Systematic
Words: 878 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Communication theory is described as any systematic explanations of the nature of the communication process. It's important for businesses and organizations to understand communication theory because they can't accomplish their objectives and goals without effective communication between workers. Since it focuses on analyzing the processes with which information is transmitted from the sender to the receiver, communication theory also focuses on the various ways with which information is transferred from

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now