I definitely think that men and women use language differently. It's not a bad thing, it's simply just a difference that I think we have all learned to work with. I think language differences are one of the biggest things to cause conflict in a relationship. But it does not have to be that way. We just need to learn how to adjust our communication styles so that we can more more understanding of the opposite sex.
Our textbook says that men and women grow up completely different. "Women's culture stresses intimacy and connection, whereas men's culture values autonomy and individual achievement. These orientations affect men's and women's topics of conversation, their conversational styles, and their interpretations of one another's meanings" (Trenholm p.90). So really, nobody is to blame with an argument arises over misunderstood language. We communicate how we were taught to communicate, if we can't fully understand someone elses language, it is not our fault nor theirs.
We are brought up to act like our specific gender from the very day that we are born. Our understanding of communication and language is based in large part on the fact that we were treated a certain way all throughout our lives. I'm a girl, so I was treated as a girl from the day I was born. I was treated how my parents thought/knew a girl should be treated, and they raised my brothers to act like boys. Our gender languages are almost unavoidable. Every culture has different gender language patterns, but for the most part they follow the same basic assumptions.
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Hi CGH! Can you think of a particular communication interaction that exemplifies the different behaviors you have pointed out here? Also, do you think it is possible to raise boys and girls with the same ideals? :)
ReplyDeleteGreat great point when you said, "Every culture has different gender language patterns, but for the most part they follow the same basic assumptions." Men and women will always have many similarities when speaking, but they also have many differences that make them unique and represent their gender properly.
ReplyDeleteWomen from New York opposed to women from China will be very different in the way they speak. New York women (from personal experience) are very outgoing, they speak their mind, they're often loud, but women from Japan might be a bit shy and on the quiet side, but they also do know how to express themselves when neede