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. What we are not only taught, but what we experience as a gender, reflects our language usage.
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. What we are not only taught, but what we experience as a gender, reflects our language usage.
In an article written by Laurie Arliss, she states that, “communication is thought to be, at once, the process by which we learn to be male or female, and the product of our attempts to behave gender appropriately.” Gender has proven to have an influence on communication and also has sown to be a product of it.
From our first days of living, we are taught a wide variety of linguistic practices that are specifically acceptable to each gender. We experience linguistic inequity in two ways; how we are taught to use language and how language is taught to use us. Throughout time, women and men have been known to interpret language according to gender. For example, when it came to jobs, especially in past generations, occupational titles indicated what jobs were for men and what jobs were for women (waiter, waitress, etc.)
Obviously we know that this has drastically changed in today’s society, but we still feel remains of gender discrimination and the effects it has. The only way we feel this, is by direct and indirect types of communication; therefore backing up theories on gender roles and communication.
This might be a cause of how society has developed how each gender should act or behave, but nevertheless these are truths that have been seen over decades, and even through changes in society and the development of race and gender equality, these gender roles in communication are still extremely evident.
Info found at: http://feminism.eserver.org/gender-differences.txt
Some points in this blog are ideas that I have never considered in my previous thoughts on this topic.
What are your thoughts?
What are your thoughts?
Thought Provoking Questions
1- Males and females have different hormones, which obviously are known to make us different, but does this also mean that the ways in which we communicate and express ourselves are made up differently in our DNA?
2- Are we two different species living as one?
3- What are your thoughts on how we live and communicate as genders?
By Mary Laird
Actually, there's an interesting new book by Matt Ridley, which describes a large amount of evidence pointing to a symbiotic relationship between nature and nurture, however, it is nurture, or the environment, that triggers the genetic functions, as well as bodily functions of the so called human "nature".
ReplyDeleteIt 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.
There are many genes that are only given the opportunity to activate if a certain environmental condition allowed for it. For example, there is certain special gene that is related to mental retardation (I forget the name). This gene would only activate if the person possessing it is given a certain type of amino acid, which is responsible for triggering the retardation gene. Given enough time away from the amino acid in their diet, the child can actually grow up without becoming mentally retarded.
As for the gender issue, men have tendencies to be less emotional, brutal, careless, and such and such. It is a genetic predisposition. However, these behaviors are only triggered if they are given the right environment to culminate the behavior. If the child grows up in a loving environment through-out their learning/imprinting period, then it is highly unlikely they'll ever develop negative tendencies.
Science is getting pretty close, and these recent evidence suggests that it is not nature versus nurture, but really nature VIA nurture.
posted by Henry Huang