The purpose of the paper is to indicate the differences between male and female communication styles. The results showed that men seem to have more initiative in their language use, whereas women seem more relationship-oriented. They also tend to smile less than the women, and women use much more euphemisms, such as nonverbal signs to listen and grasp). Men will also try to touch more than that to demonstrate dominance by patting someone’s neck or back while speaking. Women will attempt to make a connection by caressing arms or giving hugs. Growing up, boys and girls are typically kept separate, which prevents them from interacting with people of different genders. As a result, men and women communicate differently, and both sexes typically interact for various reasons. Communication can improve when one gender is conscious of the other’s subgroups and reasons for expressing themselves in specific ways.
Gendered communication refers to a specialized area that focuses on the differences in how men and women communicate. Studies have shown that men have adopted more “report” talk while women have adopted more “rapport” talk (Gender communication differences, 2018). Non-verbal signals are also essential contributors to communication, and research has shown that both men and women respond ultimately differently (Gender communication differences, 2018). When speaking, women typically utilize a more comprehensive range of pitch and tonal variations compared to men, which creates the stereotype that women are more emotional communicators than men. Although some studies have indicated a general communication method, most research suggests that men and women communicate differently to convey the message (Dey, 2021). Thus, the paper aims to analyze the differences between male and female communication.
Boys and girls are frequently kept apart as they grow up, preventing them from socializing with others outside of their gender and learning about the conventions specific to that gender. Men and women communicate differently, and both sexes interact for different purposes (Dey, 2021). A lot has been written on communication disparities between men and women. The terms masculine and feminine rhetoric were introduced, with the first being decisive, straightforward, rational, authoritative, logical, assertive, and indifferent, and the second being careful, responsive, indirect, emotional, polite, subjective, and polite (Coffman & Marques, 2021). These terms are primarily related to gender communication distinctions in professional settings. For instance, not letting being female get in the way of being effective, forceful, sexually expressive, acting naturally, and dominating the opinions of the public regarding manliness. In other instances, women are told that appearance is more important, emphasizing that they must take care of themselves and others and that they should primarily expect others to treat them well.
These are some of the most commonly mentioned gender disparities in communication. Some of them can also be seen on small occasions, such as men smiling less than women and using more euphemisms and nonverbal cues to listen and comprehend than men do. It can happen because male individuals use communication to negotiate power, look for victories, avoid defeat, and, among other things, give counsel. They might use their speaking skills to try to touch more to verify their supremacy by patting the back or neck. Moreover, they are somewhat action-oriented in their language use, while women seem more relationship-oriented (Dey, 2021). Men are much more able to compete in their language use, while people of the opposite gender are relatively cooperative, and the above differences cause regular communication friction between men and women (Coffman & Marques, 2021). Therefore, men are more inclined to use communication to uphold their position and independence, which differs from women.
In turn, women are more vocal than men, and women are more skilled with language than men. In contrast, female individuals typically see communication as a chance to forge connections and relationships (Gender differences in communication styles, 2018). Women will reach for close interactions, such as arm-touching or trying to offer a hug, and they will use more eye contact (Coffman & Marques, 2021). Most of this communication is carried out through nonverbal clues, and around 70% of all informal communication occurs nonverbally (Gender Differences in communication styles, 2018). It is a significant way for women to build relationships, look for understanding, and achieve equality or symmetry.
Additionally, women are rather adept at nonverbal communication due to variations in brain anatomy. Additionally, during talks, women’s brains receive higher blood flow to regions responsible for emotion, speech, and memory, which makes these areas highly active. Women often include memories and feelings in the conversation when they speak (Valenzuela, 2022). In contrast, men frequently employ report talk, which suggests that they may be more likely to respond to questions during discussions in a literal, emotionless manner. Many scientists contend that communication techniques and abilities must be learned (Valenzuela, 2022). Those radically varied styles of communication are dictated by social learning and imitation. According to this theory, traditionally masculine and female social interactional traits are learned through their respective same-sex role models starting in infancy (Valenzuela, 2022). They are not at all innate, and gendered communication disparities are not equal due to environment and upbringing. Unlike vocal pitch, nature seldom plays a part (higher or lower voice).
These are some other interaction differences that are frequently highlighted. All males develop through learning a few universal traits determined by aspects like the central focus facts of manliness. Gender differences simply serve to exacerbate further how difficult it is to communicate. Nevertheless, it does not mean people cannot comprehend how to interact in better ways. Being a part of distinct subcultures makes women and men differ from one another and vice versa. Communication can be better when one gender is aware of the other’s subcultures and motivations for presenting themselves in particular ways. The goal of gender communication is to comprehend and adapt to another person’s communication style rather than to alter it.
Overall, there are particular distinctions between men’s and women’s communication styles. Women speak up more than males do, and they also speak more fluently. Women and men are different because they belong to various subcultures and vice versa. Compared to women, males grin less, and women use more euphemisms, such as nonverbal cues, to listen and comprehend. Instead of trying to change someone else’s communication style, gender communication aims to understand and accommodate them.
Women view communication as an opportunity to build connections and relationships, but males are more likely to use it to maintain their status and independence. Women are better at nonverbal communication because of brain structure differences. Many scientists believe that practical communication skills must be developed. Social learning and imitation are the driving forces behind these wildly divergent communication styles. Due to nature and nurture, there are differences in how people communicate across genders. Children learn social interactional behaviors typically associated with men and women through watching their same-sex role models.
References
Coffman, M., & Marques, J. (2021). Gender and Communication Are There Decisive Differences? In Exploring Gender at Work (pp. 67-84). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Dey, M. (2021). Are there gender differences in communication style? Psychreg.
Gender communication differences: what can we learn? (2018). Rochester Rising. Web.
Gender differences in communication styles. (2018). Freeman Means Business.
Valenzuela, D. (2022). Do men and women communicate differently? Experts weigh in. Katie Couric Media.