1. Communication, Identity and Gender

2. Overview
Identity is an area of intercultural communication studies that focuses on the ways in which our identities are initially imagined and constructed and how these identities are subsequently reinforced and reinvented.
There are part of our identity over which we have little or no control – gender, sexual orientation, skin colour, place of birth.
To varying extents, we do have some control over other parts, such as language we speak, religion we profess or the denial of any faith and the country and nation we affirm
The meanings we associate with these aspects of identities are influenced by schools, media, and daily encounters with others.
In the same context, one identity may be in the forefront. Eg at work our professional identity may be how others think of us and we think of ourselves at time.

3. Overview on Gender and Communication
There are two communication theories that help situate gender and communication.
First, communication is epistemic, that is communication is the medium to know things. Eg, it is through scientific discourse that people came to view universe as earth-centred
Second, communication is axiological, that is communication is value-laden. Virtually all communication theorists agree that language is subjective.
All communications make claims and take stances.
Any use of communication exhibits attitude that implies an act and all human actions have moral consequences
The significance of communication practice in shaping our lives is no less important in the arena of gender and communication.
In fact, communication is thought to be the process by which we learn to be male or female or other.

4. Gender and Communication
First, in the way they are taught to use the language and second in the way, general language usage treats them.
Eg woman reflects her role in the social order by adopting linguistic practices such as using tag question, qualifiers to soften their message
Likewise, traditionally, women were identified by their association with men and occupational titles communicated which jobs were for man and woman.
Today, society still retains a tendency to imply that maleness. Eg using the word woman doctor, lady president, chairman for man but chairperson for lady
What we are taught in gender reflects in our language usage.

5. Gender makes Difference in Communication
When a man says it:
When a woman says it
He’s showing leadership.
He’s going places.
He’s concerned.
He’s keeping people in the loop.
He’s reporting
She’s bossy or aggressive.
She’s too ambitious.
She’s nosy.
She’s a gossip.
She’s a tattletale.

6. Globalisation and Identity
How far and in what ways would you say your sense of your own identity has been affected by global trends, the flow of good, people and images around the world, and the increasing possibilities available for global communication?

7. Probable Answers
The cultural supermarket bears some resemblance to its metaphorical root, the material supermarket.
Just as the material supermarket has been transformed to the scope of its goods in recent years, so too has the cultural supermarket……due to TV, Internet and computers.
Eg pizzas from America, Lasagna from Italy, Coke has gone international McDonalisation culture etc

8. Probable Answers
The internet has opened up previously unimagined possibilities for communication between individuals and global communities.
Such communication has had an impact upon how we view ourselves and others, and has forced a re-evaluation of what communication can mean……….w.r.t identity
No longer do we dwell within the boundaries of single geographically contained community, a region, an ethnicity or even a culture.

9. Sexism & Language governor – governess master – mistress
patron – matron
sir – madam
bachelor – Spinster
brothers & sisters
husband & wife
boys & girls
hostess & host
queen & king
Eve & Adam

10. workman’s compensation “Man the oars” he, him, his
Sexism & Language
Generic He/Man
policeman
spokesman
manpower
Social Man
mankind
workman’s compensation
“Man the oars”
he, him, his

11. Connotations:
Words associated with men appear on the left, those with women on the right. What does each word connote to you?
Power, authority, positively valued while for women…..
What did spinster mean originally? Semantic derogation over time?
(Semantic – study of words and phrases)
(derogation – to make something less important)
Word becomes associated with women often acquires semantic characteristics congruent with social stereotypes and evaluations – women as a group

12. What do these connotations say about the status of women in society
What do these connotations say about the status of women in society? Generally men associated with positive things, women negative things? “Shrew” from the name of a small, but vicious, animal is defined in most dictionaries as “an ill-tempered scolding woman.” A shrewd businessman has different connotation, “clever, discerning awareness” . Patron of the arts vs a matron who supervises a public institution or simply an old woman. Would you rather be an old master (someone who has achieved consummate ability in your field) or an old mistress

13. Word Pairs
Read each word pair. What if you reverse them? Sound incorrect, awkward?
Traditionally placing the female term after the male term signifies something? Status of women? “ the supreme Being…is in languages .Masculine, in as much as the masculine Sex is the superior and more excellent” (quoted in Baron, 1986)
Linguistic Sexism is the larger problem of semantic derogation
Linguistic sexism – ways in which a language devalues members of one sex (women), defining women’s “place” in society unequally & ignoring women.
Example: titles of respect for men, Mr which reveals nothing about relationship to women. While women being addressed as Miss or Mrs – define women in terms of their relationships to men. Husband & wife having PhDs -commonly addressed as Dr & Mrs. How is a woman’s identity subsumed?
(Subsumed – generally included in a category without having an identity of its own)

14. Generic He/Man What image comes to your mind when reading the words?
Do you visualize women, women and men together, or men alone? Only men
“he/man” language frequently results in “cognitive confusion” or misunderstanding
How can sexist language be changed? Individuals (you & me), organizations
Ms for Miss & Mrs, Alternating the order of feminine & masculine nouns and pronouns
Police officer, spokesperson, businessperson

15. Do Women & Men Speak Different Language
Deborah Tannen (1990,1994 ) argues women & men are of different speech communities
Different communication styles and goals.
Women & men speak different genderlects just as people from cultures speak different dialects.
Women speak & hear a language of intimacy & connection.
Men uses language of status & independence.
Therefore, when women & men converse, the conversations often become product of two different cultures resulting in misunderstanding.
Some studies using large sample found few communication differences among gender, but both women & men communication patterns and styles are influenced by situational factors: sex of the receiver, the context, the perceived status of both speaker and receiver.

16. Do Women & Men Speak Different Language
Women tend to avert their eyes when stared at by men, but they also smile and laugh more than men whether they are happy or not, a gesture viewed as both social and submissive.
Research on same-sex conversation showed that in all female groups, women talk more than men do in all male groups.
Men prefer to talk more about sports, work; women prefer to indulge more about personal topics (Bischoping, 1993).

17. Do Women & Men Speak Different Language
Women conversations are less individualistic and more dynamic than men’s conversation in same-sex interaction. Women enlarge on and acknowledge one another’s contributions, respond to conversationalist’s attempts to introduce topics. Although interruptions are frequent in women’s conversations, these are typically supportive rather than aggressive Women’s conversations are being stereotyped as gossiping whereas men’s conversations with another are regarded as more serious and important

18. Do Women & Men Speak Different Language
Would these negative traits and consequences of communication differences associated exclusively with women have to do with men having greater power to define acceptable standards of communication?
Obviously, women’s communications are considered not only different from men’s, but also typically inferior (Lakoff, 1990)

19. Gender and Communication
Gender has an influence on communication
Gender is a product of communication
Eg, from early age, males and females are taught different linguistic practices.
Communication behaviours that are acceptable for boys, may be considered completely inappropriate for girls.
Communication practices not reflect notions about gender, but they also create cultural concepts of gender.
Hence research reveals that woman experience linguistic discrimination 2 ways

20. Gender and Communication
Women and Men are different – but
averages are not absolutes
• Many of the difficulties we experience
arise from misunderstandings
• Knowing about the roots and causes of
our misunderstandings may help us to
be more successful in our relationships
with co-workers, clients, and at home

21. Gender and Communication
Women are the intimacy experts
BUT
May have difficulty dealing with negative feelings
• Men are skilled at dealing with conflict
May have difficulty with expressiveness

22. Gender and Communication
Differing features of conversational style
Amount of talk
Mixed groups-men talk more especially in formal & public contexts
Same sex groups- amt. talk equal
Interruptions (Zimmerman & West)
Men interrupt women more than vice versa
Conversational support (Fishman)
Women gave more conversational support than men leaving more opportunities for men’s stories to get expanded upon.
Tentativeness (Lackoff, 1975, Holmes, 1995)
Women use more hedges and tag questions,
Compliments (Metshire, et. al., 2001)
Women pay and receive more compliments
Topic of talk (Coates, Tannen)
Women speak and hear a language of connection and intimacy (Tannen), Personal Topics (Coates)
Men speak and hear a language of status and independence (Tannen), Non-personal Topics (Coates)
What are your mixed-gender miscommunication experiences?

23. Stereotypes: Men are… Competitive – Unsentimental – Analytical
– Task-focused
– Aggressive
– Silent, etc

24. Stereotypes: Women are…
Nurturing
– Emotional
– Intuitive
– Supportive
– Passive
– Talkative, etc.

25. Stereotypes: Women are…
Girls / Women
– Face to face
– Communication is central
– Talk is expressive
– Discuss the dynamics of the relationship
– Broader in scope

26. Stereotypes: Men are… Boys / Men – Side by side
– Activities are central
– Talk is topic focused
– Relationship value is assumed
– More limited in scope

27. Gender Communication as Intercultural Communication
The constituents of intercultural communication as identified by scholars such as Porter, Samovar and Pennington are points at which significant differences may occur in communication patterns, habits and traditions across cultures.
Occurrence of differences at these points suggest we are dealing with intercultural communication
Differences in world view, language usage between genders are three points of difference which suggest that gender communication is a form of intercultural communication
Although explanations vary widely, many feminist scholars have described the female worldview as significantly different from the male worldview.
Female identity revolves around interconnectedness and relationship.
Male identity stresses on separation and independence
Many feminist scholars, in examining the current and historic roles of women in religion, have resurrected religios practices which predate

28. Gender Communication as Intercultural Communication
It is difficult to discuss differences in worldview without talking about languages since our view of the world is expressed in language and symbol system.
Communication between man and women can be like cross cultural communication, prey to a clash of conversational style.
This is due to differences in the way man and woman generally look at the world
Therefore it is no coincidence that women see talk as the essence of a relationship while men use talk to exert control, preserve independence and enhance status

29. Is the Situation Changing ?
Some evidence the situation may be changing.
Berryman-Fink (1994)-no difference in how women & men (sups, peers, or subordinates) rated the communication competency of women in the work place.
In self-evaluations, women rated their communication competency lower than others rated men.
Women need to develop greater self confidence in certain communication settings.

30. Is the Situation Changing ?
On listening reactions, few differences between female and male listeners except female gave more “active understanding” responses (explicit acknowledgment of the speaker’s feelings) when the speaker was a female friend.
Is communication an interactive process affected by a variety of factors of which gender is only one?
Many researchers observed gender inequality characterizes much daily communication, reflecting differences in men’s and women’s life experiences, social status, power (Henley et al., 1985)

31. Guidelines for Improving Communication Between Genders
Six stumbling blocks in inter-cultural communication according to Barna:
Assumed similarity
Language
Non-verbal misinterpretations
Pre-conceptions and stereotypes
Tendency to evaluate
High anxiety

32. Guidelines for Improving Communication Between Genders
The last stumbling block occurs when people are completely separated from their own culture and it usually does not apply to gender communication except perhaps in overtly abusive situations or highly sex-segregated societies.
Awareness about the first five stumbling block can be useful in improving gender communication
Eg by learning to assume that man and woman are not the same, we can become more sensitive to the fact that man and woman goals and values are different and their verbal and non-verbal language will vary as well
Conversely, awareness of societal preconceptions and stereotypes which portray the other sex as ‘different’ and ‘opposite’ can help to avoid such stereotypes., i.e, although there may be cultural differences between the sexes, it is not productive to assume that all men love sport anymore than it is constructive to assume that all Irish consume alcohol excessively

33. Guidelines for Improving Communication Between Genders
The tendency to evaluate another’s culture as inferior to our own is perhaps the most difficult stumbling block to avoid, especially when applying it to gender communication.
So, instead of becoming annoyed by a male’s aggressive communication style, we should recognise that it is a style which is as much a part of his identity as an ethnic cuisine or a religious tradition is part of a culture.
The task in improving intercultural communication is awareness and respect rather than evaluation.