Assess the Impact of Gender on Intercultural Communication

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Assess the Impact of Gender on Intercultural Communication

Our social identities influence the way we communicate "our communication behaviour can be based on our personal/ or our social identities" (Gudykunst 1991 p20). There are many of our social identities that can be the basis of misinterpretations and ineffective communication; one of these is our gender. The word gender is used to "refer to the learned behaviours and attitudes associated with the words 'feminine' and 'masculine'" (Jandt 2000 p275). The study of gender discourse is a relatively new one and in order to assess the impact of gender on intercultural communication I will be discussing the impact of gender on communication in general, gender roles and gender equity.

Although it may seem that both males and females share the same environments and experiences, for example, schools "women and men grow up in two distinct communication cultures" (Samovar 2001 p48). There have always been two very different sets of expectations placed on boys and girls, for example boys and girls grow up playing very different games, girls play with dolls whereas boys have cars and guns to play with. Another example is that girls are expected to help with chores inside the house whereas boys are able to do jobs outside. These expectations create two groups of people who have very different perceptions of themselves. They act, talk and relate to people differently and also interpret the things going on in the world very differently. The different experiences "generate unique modes of behaviour that influence communication" (Samovar 2001 p 49).

Gender has an impact on communication because both men and women approach conversations with very different expectations and with the aim of achieving different results. When these expectations are not observed, misinterpretations can occur. These misinterpretations can frequently be attributed to conversational differences.

Women for example see questions as a method of keeping a conversation going whereas men see them as a method of receiving information. Aggressiveness is seen as a way of communicating by men but as an attack by women. Women discuss their problems in order to gain reassurance but men are hoping for a solution.
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When women discuss their problems with another woman, the women is likely to offer support and relate a problem of their own to the problem they are being told about. However, if a woman told the same problem to a man "he is either likely to offer a reprimand and explanation of what she did wrong" (Scollon and Scollon 2001 p249). When women discuss their troubles a man is likely to interpret it as a request for assistance and also as a sign of weakness. When a man is told someone's problems he is likely to accept it ...

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