Lots of researchers define sex as a biological categorization, classifying people as male or female based on their sex organs (Basow 1992, Eckert & Mc-Connell-Ginet 2003) and interpret gender as the social forming of the biological sex. (Eckert & Mc-Connell-Ginet 2003). Butler agrees that gender is the cultural meaning of the sexed body but points out that the sexed body must not match with the biological sex. What this means is that the category ‘women’ can contain people with a male and a female body, it is the same with the classification ‘men’. For Butler, sex or the sexed body is a cultural defined category of gender (Butler 1990).
There is lots of research in the field of gender differences in language use. This essay looked at varieties between the genders in verbal and nonverbal communication with the aim to find out which variables characterize the language use of each gender. In the field of talkativeness the researchers got opposite results, therefore nothing can be said about which gender has a larger amount of the conversation. Looking at the other points of comparison between the genders, it could be detected that woman use more affiliative speech which includes the use of different stylistic devices to avoid making a clear statements. Besides, the observation of their visual behaviour showed that women use their view for orientation and as a source for information (e.g. about their communication partner). Furthermore, they use eye contact for getting a feedback about their own behaviour from their communication partner, feeling uncomfortable when they can’t see their opposite. In addition women are more involved, use more expressions and feel easily embarrassed. Overall these results indicate unambiguously that women have a submissive communication style. Men on the contrary, use affiliative speech and directives. They have a more passive visual behaviour which is mainly lead by the visual input, the researchers could not observe men looking around for feedback about their behavior. Besides, men are more socially, tireless and relaxed. Looking at this result it could be detected men having a dominate communication style.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Definition of ‘Sex’ and ‘Gender’
2.1. Definition of ‘Sex’
2.2. Definition of ‘Gender’
3. Judith Butler’s concept of gender
4. Gender differences in communication
4.1. Verbal communication
4.1.1. Talkativeness
4.1.2. Affiliative Speech
4.1.3. Assertive Speech
4.2. Non-verbal communication
4.2.1. Facial expressions
4.2.2. Visual behaviour
4.2.3. Gestures
5. Theories explaining gender differences
5.1. Biological theory
5.2. Social-cultural theory
5.3. Social-developmental theory
6. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
The essay explores the characterization of male and female language usage, focusing on how gender influences communication patterns. It investigates specific verbal and non-verbal differences while examining theoretical frameworks that explain these variations, ultimately questioning the nature of gendered communication styles.
- The differentiation between sex and gender as social and biological categories.
- Judith Butler’s post-structuralist perspective on gender as a cultural construct.
- Empirical analysis of verbal communication, including talkativeness, affiliative, and assertive speech.
- Examination of non-verbal communication through facial expressions, visual behavior, and gestures.
- Theoretical explanations of gender differences through biological, social-cultural, and social-developmental lenses.
Extract from the Book
4.1.2. Affiliative Speech
Newman at al. (2008) described women and men having different aims in their minds when they formulate sentences. Lankoff (2004) found that the use of language gives information about the relationship between the sender and the addressee and what the sender thinks about his statement. The use of affiliative language serves the purpose of consent or positively engaging the communication partner (Leaper & Ayres 2007). Leaper & Ayres (2007) found a significant dominance of affiliative speech in women’s language. Also Leaper & Smith (2004) and Bablekou (2009) discovered girls being more likely than boys to use affiliative language. Moreover, Bablekou (2009) found that girls verbalize their feelings and emotional states and were more forgiving than boys, as well as using more expressions of courteousness, request and disarming than boys. Mulac et al. (1988) looked at language differences between the genders and observed women using more questions (e.g. Does anyone want to go outside for a walk?), whereas men predominately used directives (e.g. Let’s go outside for a walk!) to express an aim. Also, Newman et al. (2008) observed woman formulating more questions than men. Robin Lankoff (2004) found that woman use different stylistic devices to dilute their expressions, one is the use of tag questions. They are situated between a direct statement and a yes or no question, but are more affiliative than a statement and more dedicated than a yes or no question. Women use this kind of formulation if they want to make a claim but are not completely sure if it is true (eg. It's attenuate their statements are a rising intonation on declaratives (e.g. A: When do you want to leave for getting lunch? B: Eight a clock?), empty boosters ( e.g. I am so glad to see you), the use of different forms of hedges (e.g. sort of, kind of, it seems like), indirect requests (e.g. I'm so thirsty." – really asking for a drink) to name only some. Overall, Lankoff describes women’s speech as cautiously avoiding commitment and expressing a solid statement (Lankoff 2004) quite an achievement to win a Nobel prize, isn't it?). They have enough knowledge to predict the answer and want to get a positive answer from the communication partner. So a tag question could be seen as a polite way to formulate a statement, giving the communication partner a “leeway, not forcing him to go along with the views of the speaker” (Lankoff 2004, P48).
Chapter Summary
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the topic of gender differences in communication and outlines the structural approach of the essay, including definitions and theoretical analysis.
2. Definition of ‘Sex’ and ‘Gender’: This section establishes the foundational terminology, distinguishing between biological categorization (sex) and the social construction of identity (gender).
3. Judith Butler’s concept of gender: This chapter presents Butler's view that gender is a multifaceted cultural interpretation rather than a direct result of biological sex.
4. Gender differences in communication: This section reviews research on verbal and non-verbal communication, specifically analyzing how men and women differ in speech acts and non-verbal cues.
5. Theories explaining gender differences: This chapter discusses biological, social-cultural, and social-developmental theories to provide a framework for understanding the causes of gendered language variation.
6. Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the main findings, suggesting that while women often exhibit a submissive style and men a dominant one, these patterns are shaped by complex interactions of biology and culture.
Keywords
Gender, Sex, Communication, Language use, Verbal communication, Non-verbal communication, Affiliative speech, Assertive speech, Judith Butler, Biological theory, Social-cultural theory, Social-developmental theory, Talkativeness, Facial expressions, Eye contact.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The essay examines gender-based differences in communication, specifically focusing on how men and women differ in their use of verbal and non-verbal language.
What are the core thematic areas?
The core themes include definitions of sex and gender, Judith Butler's concept of gender as a cultural construct, gendered speech patterns (verbal), and non-verbal behaviors like gestures and eye contact.
What is the main objective of the study?
The main objective is to characterize male and female language use by analyzing research-based evidence regarding variations in communication styles.
Which methodology is applied in the research?
The essay utilizes a literature review and synthesis approach, evaluating existing research results from fields such as psychology, sociology, and communication studies.
What is addressed in the main body of the work?
The main body investigates specific communication categories—such as talkativeness, affiliative versus assertive speech, facial expressions, and visual behavior—and discusses relevant theories that attempt to explain these gender differences.
Which keywords best describe this study?
Key terms include gender, communication, social construction, verbal behavior, non-verbal cues, and theoretical frameworks like the social-cultural and biological theories of gender.
How does Judith Butler view the relationship between sex and gender?
Butler argues that gender is not a direct result of biological sex, but rather a multifaceted cultural construct that interprets the body, suggesting that categories of 'men' and 'women' are not purely defined by biology.
What does the author conclude regarding women's visual behavior?
The author concludes that women tend to use visual behavior for information seeking and orientation, and are more dependent on visual feedback from their dialogue partners compared to men.
How do 'tag questions' function in women's speech according to the text?
Tag questions are described as a stylistic device used to soften statements, allowing for a claim to be made while simultaneously being polite and avoiding forcing the listener to agree.
- Citar trabajo
- Bachelor of Science Marie Tolkemit (Autor), 2010, Explore the concept of gender and explain the roles of different forms of communication within gender, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/177313
