Question | Answer |
Culture | A way of life - the "taken-for-granted" world view shared by a group including: knowledge, values & symbolic expression |
Language | A shared lexicon, within a culture, for objects + ideas that helps to categorize items with easily observable differences that is arbitrarily attached to meaning |
Misconception about gender in communication | that women + men speak the same "language" in conversation. They do not - they operate in two different sub-cultures or communication groups. |
Androcentrism (result of patriarchy) and male generics | the male point of view at the center of one's worldview + history --> men dominate, culture, politics, media, education, literature, etc + default symbols for humans are male ->male generics in language exclude women-->make men more prominent/normative |
Femminine public (media) talk focus | Appearance + relationships |
Masculine public (media) talk focus | Activities + achievements |
Language & gender perceptions | - classify in stereotypes or generalisations
- evaluates gender
- English reflects cultural values that trivialise + demean women |
Language influences thinking | - English is not neutral
- Metaphors demeaning women + equating them with food, animals, possessions + children
- 222 negative words for sexually promiscuous women only 22 for men
- enables hypothetical thought + self reflection |
Femminine gendered talk + play | early segregation btwn genders
more emotions
parents use more emotion + words
nature of emotions
explore + articulate feelings early
smaller group, cooperative play
learn indirect aggression by puberty
build connected relationships |
Masculine gendered talk + play | early segregation
less info/more anger
narrow range - fewer emotive words
causes/consequences
more physical action - less aware of internal states
large groups, competitive play
direct & ritual aggression
tough minded auton |
Male world view of talk | - talk to discover who is in charge w/ high vs low levels of competition |
Female world view of talk | - talk to discover who is connected w/ close vs far connections
- use more words and intensifiers
- use tag questions + up inflections
- encouragers
- more effect/feeling words |
Male world view of talk | - use more affect words when talking to women
- talk to establish autonomy (compete to maintain)
- negotiate status
- use 'report talk'
- talk w/ purpose to solve issue, seek advice, take a stand, etc
- they assume hierarchy + control |
General male barriers to effective communication | - resist being 'one down' (not likely to ask Qs)
- compete in conversation
give answers/poor listeners
re-direct conversation
debate vs discuss
interrupt to gain floor
attack/ expect counter
-'fight it out' / 'drop it' & move on (ritual c |
General female barriers to effective communication | talk to est. connections; negotiate intimacy; use rapport (connect) talk; share feelings, personal ideas & build relationships; taken-for-granted world is based on closeness & distance |
Woman talk characteristics | take turns speaking; ask questions if they don't know; overlap to support/grab the floor; use rituals of speech to show connection to other |
Men + women talking together can be problematic | may speak at cross-purposes; hold different views of relationships (working = discuss/not working = don't discuss); and have different modes of ritual speech |
gender in communication rituals - negotiations | w-ask how others see the problem; m- claim what they want |
gender in communication rituals - downplay | w- downplay certainty to be connective; m-downplay doubts to maintain ego (avoid 'one-down' position) |
gender in communication rituals - ideas | w-phrase ideas as suggestions; m- give orders w/ out reasons |
gender in communication rituals - rituals | w-use 'i'm sorry' as a connective ritual; m- interpret as apology |
gender in communication rituals - social 'lying' | w- tend to lie to make others feel better; m- lie to make themselves look better |
improve x-gender communications | be mindful; use dual perspective; use I-messages; respect others (feelings & ideas); use meta-communication |