Communication is the process of delivering information from one place to another. It can be in different forms including verbal, non-verbal or written communication. Oral communication is the use of words to deliver information. Non-verbal on the other hand entails the use of body language or gestures. Written communication comes in the form of letters, emails, books or magazines. Gender communication on the other side is a specialized communication field that focuses on the ways human beings of different gender communicate. This area also strives to change the way we talk and view other people based on their gender and to make society more safe and emphatic for everyone. According to Padovani and Pavan (2015), gender communication is the communication about and between men and women. It focuses on how members of each sex communicate with others of the same sex as well as those of opposite sex.
Gender is social as it refers to what it means being feminine or masculine. Thus a person does gender. For instance, walking along a street, one may say walk like a man or speak like a woman. As a social construct, gender is learned because when we are born, we do not know how to act like a feminine or masculine but we rely on others to teach us on general conventions how to look like our gender. Gender is more of culture based and how we communicate our gender in one culture may be considered vague in another culture. It is determined by values and beliefs of various cultures.
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Several theories have been developed to discuss gender communication. In feminist theory, all genders use touch as a way of communicating. However, to the different sex, it displays various messages. According to Valley and Graber (2014), w omen mainly use touch to express care or support. On the other hand, men can use touch as a way of giving direction to another person. In another theory, the kinesics, men, and women use the body language to mean different messages. Men use body language to signal strength and control while women often use body language to express friendliness to a person. For example, women usually use a smile to show approachability and how friendly they can be. While communicating, women are prone to use polite words such as May I, kindly or please. On the contrary women, men are more commanding in their words with the use of words such as can you; I want you to, etc.
According to Authoritarian theory, freedom of thought was guarded by a few people, mostly the ruling class and the men. It restricted the women’s right to free thought and expression. Only men were to give their views as women were considering themselves as listeners as listeners who should just follow what had been said. In contrary, Libertarianism theory advocates for a free expression of every individual regardless of gender. The difference in the way men and women pass information has been a significant concern for several scholars. Women in several instances deliver their messages with feelings or excitement ( Stokoe, 2013). The way they give information is more reliant on their mood at that moment. When not in good spirits, women hardly speak. In this situation, they mainly use body signs such nodding.
Gender contributes to a very significant role in the communication process. While women view conversation as a tool for social connection and relationship building, men use communication as a tool to exert control and achieve some outcomes ( Gallagher, M. 2014). Women are very expressive and polite in their talks while men are more authoritative and commanding. Understanding the different communication styles for different genders has made it possible for people to understand each other in the communication. It improves comprehending each other by knowing how each gender delivers their information. With the knowledge of gender and their conversation styles, communication process has been enhancing and uncertainties surrounding the whole process eliminated.
At a personal level, I have experienced the impacts of gender communication. All through as I grew up, I had a notion that my father was always rude towards me. He has a rough voice and always speaks with a lot of commands. Every time he talks, one might ever think he is quarreling. Having not understood that men naturally speak assertively, I never liked him for the reason I always thought he was still rude towards me. Until the day I realized that it was a communication style for the majority of men and I got to understand what role gender plays in communication. A different experience occurred to me at my workplace. My boss is a woman who is always polite and impressive in her conversation. She always puts on a friendly smile and her choice of words is always kind. From her style of speaking, I came to like her and consequently the job. Her friendly communication style made me like my profession, and I am enjoying working with her.
In conclusion, gender contributes a significant role in communication both at personal and professional level. Every sex has its style of communication which differ from another gender. Gender is determined by culture as what is right for one tradition may be inappropriate in another culture. We as human beings need to understand how each gender communicate and the way they pass their information.
References
Gallagher, M. (2014). Feminist scholarship and the debates on gender and communication. Media and gender: A scholarly agenda for the Global Alliance on Media and Gender , 11-14.
Padovani, C., & Pavan, E. (2015). Networks and power in gender-oriented communication governance. Linking theory to empirical explorations. China and the World—Theatres of Soft Power , 36-62. Charlebois, J. (2016). Gender and Communication. The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Family Studies .
Stokoe, E. (2013). Applying findings and creating impact from conversation analytic studies of gender and communication. Economic and Industrial Democracy , 34 (3), 537-552.
Valley, J. A., & Graber, K. C. (2014). An Examination of Gender-Biased Communication in Physical Education. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport , 85 (S1), A160.
