VERBAL COMMUNICATION Gender stereotyping can limit the

development of the natural talents and

EXPRESSES CULTURAL VIEWS abilities of girls and boys, women and men.
OF GENDER

Rational Emotional
A. Gendered Language Excludes and and Weak
Generic Language is inclusive of Strong
and represents everyone. It is one way of
communicating through generalizations
about categories. Example of which are Queer performative theory challenges
“Mr.”, “Miss”, and “Mrs.” These are used to polarized language in a way that its tries to
address men and women regardless of their transform the way we may define and break
status. Evidence has been found that boundaries to identity.
generic language has been used as not
including everyone, therefore policies have
arisen towards dictionaries, novels, E. Language Evaluates Gender
newspapers, and other write-ups about its
Our language can differ on how we
writing style manuals caution against using
acknowledge men and women. Language
generic language.
devalues females by trivializing women:
Another is gendered language used
• Immature, juvenile
by individuals to identify themselves who do
• Equate with food, and animals
not fit into conventional categories. Example
• Diminutive suffixes
are trans, genderqueer, and others.
• Calling women girls
• Sexually active called derogatory
names
B. Language Defines Gender as Binary
What is Gender Binary?
F. Language Allows Self Reflection
“Exposure to body ideals of impossibly thin
Gender binary is the women and unrealistically muscular men
classification of individuals can contribute to negative self-images and
as male or female. viewers’ attempts to alter their bodies
through restrictive eating, exercise, drugs,
or surgery”

Otherwise, not included in this

gender identity uses the umbrella term non-
binary (genderqueer).

C. Language Shapes Awareness of Gendered

Issues
Figure 1. Female Body Shape
“Naming is important” Wear (Gender Difference in
Preference and Prejudice for
Gendered issues like sexual harassment Female Body Shapes, 2011)
which is recognized as a form of violence
that needs to be address.

D. Language Organizes Perceptions of

Gender
 GENDERED STYLES OF - four basic rules for communication:
1. Use communication to
VERBAL COMMUNICATION
create and maintain relationships.
The process of communication, not
its content, is the heart of
A. Gendered Speech Communities relationships.
2. Use communication to
Language – is a primary means by which establish egalitarian relations with
we express our gendered identities. others. Don’t outdo, criticize, or put
“Gendered styles of communicating, not down others. If you have to criticize,
necessarily sex-based styles.” be gentle.
3. Use communication to
: some girls taught to communicate in a include others—bring them into
feminine way but there are also girls learn to conversations, respond to their
communicate in a masculine way; and vice ideas.
versa 4. Use communication to
show sensitivity to others and
Speech Community – is a group of people
relationships.
who share norms about communication.
According to William Labov (1972), it exists
when people share understandings about • BOYS’ GAMES - play encourage
goals of communication, strategies for competition
enacting those goals, and ways of BOY’S RULES - focus on individuality,
interpreting communication. competition, and achievement

B. The Lessons of Children’s Play • GIRLS’ GROUP - fosters prosocial,

• Boys’ Games cooperative play
- Play in large groups - build relationships
- are competitive, have clear goals, and make connections with others
and are organized by rules and roles
that specify who does what and how C. Gendered Communication Practice
to play • Feminine Communication
- Four communication rules: 1. Establish and maintain relationships
1. Use communication to with others.
assert your ideas, opinions, and 2. Establish equality between people.
identity. 3. Support for others.
2. Use talk to achieve 4. Feminine speech style is
something, such as solving conversational “maintenance work”.
problems or developing strategies. 5. Responsive.
3. Use communication to 6. Personal, concrete style.
attract and maintain others’ 7. Tentative.
attention.
4. Use communication to • Masculine Communication
compete for the “talk stage.” Make 1. Establish status and control.
yourself stand out, take attention 2. Instrumentality.
away from others, and get others to 3. Conversational command.
pay attention to you. 4. Direct and assertive.
5. More abstract
6. Less emotionally responsive
• Girls’ Games
- play in small groups
The Gender-Linked Language Effect
• Relationship Talk
- language differences between
"Can we discuss us? " is the
women and men are influenced by a
first line of countless talks that lead
variety of factors, including topics,
to miscommunication and hurt. Men
speaker status, salience of gender in
who have been socialized in a more
a communication situation, and other
masculine manner are typically only
people present.
interested in talking about
relationships when there is an issue.

D. Gender-Based Misinterpretations • Public Speaking

in Communication Differences in feminine and
masculine communication patterns
• Showing Support also surface in public contexts.
Independence vs. Historically, men have dominated
Connection misinterpretation could politics. Thus, it’s not surprising that
occur because of failing to the assertive, dominant, confident
understand that communication masculine style is the standard for
operates by different rules. public speaking. Women who are
effective in politics tend to manage a
• Troubles Talk fine balance in which they are
Talking about troubles or sufficiently feminine to be perceived
personal issues is a type of as acting appropriately for women
interaction where there is a risk of and sufficiently masculine to be
damaged feelings due to variations perceived as acting appropriately for
between masculine and feminine politicians (Sheeler & Anderson,
forms of communication. I've finally 2013). Women running for political
figured out what's going on between office must be perceived not only as
my girlfriend and I. She constantly qualified but also as likable. Voters
has worries or feels awful about will elect men they don’t like if they
something involving one of her perceive the men as qualified; they
friends. I've been attempting to be will not elect women they perceive
supportive by reassuring her not to as unlikeable (Collins, 2015).
worry, not to allow it get to her, and
not to obsess over other people's
issues. I was attempting to cheer her
up. That's what guys do for one GENDERED NONVERBAL
another—sort of divert our focus COMMUNICATION
away from issues. Teresa, though,
simply becomes enraged and huffy
when I do it. She snubs my advice Gendered Nonverbal
and claims that if I truly cared about Communication refers to a specialized
her, I would have shown more area that focuses on the differences in how
concern. It makes sense at last. I men and women communicate through the
guess, sort of. transmission of messages or signals
through a nonverbal platform such as eye
• The Point of The Story contact, facial expressions, gestures,
Another situation where the posture, and body language.
masculine and feminine when
relaying experiences,
A. Functions of Nonverbal
communication norms frequently
Communication
diverge.
The three primary functions of nonverbal • Liking. A second dimension of
communication are to the relationship level of meaning
(1) supplement verbal is liking. We use nonverbal
communication, behaviors to signal that we like
(2) regulate interaction, and or dislike others.
(3) convey the bulk of the
relationship level of meaning. • Power or Control. The third
aspect of the relationship level
of meaning is power, or control.
1. Supplement Verbal Communication
Power refers to the degree to
Nonverbal behavior supplements, or which people are equal to,
adds to, verbal messages in five ways. dominant over, or deferential to
others. Control is exerted in
1. Nonverbal communication may conversations by defining topics,
repeat words. directing conversation, and
2. Nonverbal communication may interrupting, all of which may
contradict verbal messages. involve both verbal and
3. Nonverbal behavior may nonverbal communication.
complement verbal communication Although many nonverbal
by underlining a verbal message. behaviors convey control
4. Nonverbal behavior may replace messages, three are especially
verbal messages. important: vocal qualities, touch,
5. Nonverbal communication may and use of space
accent verbal messages, telling us
which parts are important.

2. Regulate Interaction
FORMS OF NONVERBAL
- We use body posture, eye contact,
and vocal inflection to signal others COMMUNICATION
that we wish to speak or that we are
Nonverbal communication - expresses
done speaking.
cultural views of gender and reflects our
3. Establish Relationship Level of Meaning personal gendered identities. Views of men
as independent, powerful, and in control,
- An important function of nonverbal while social definitions of women as
communication is to convey the deferential, decorative, and relationship-
relationship level of meaning that centered.
expresses relationships between
communicators. The three primary
dimensions of relationship-level A. Artifacts
meaning are (1) responsiveness, (2) Artifacts is a personal object that can
liking, and (3) power, each of which both express identity and influence how
is linked to gender. we see ourselves. Play weapons, toy
- soldiers, and miniature race cars invite
• Responsiveness. The first competition and active, rough play,
dimension of the relationship whereas dolls, play houses, and makeup
level of meaning is kits encourage nurturing, domestic
responsiveness, which indicates activities, and attention to appearance.
interest in and attentiveness to Toy catalogues offer clear messages
others. about cultural meanings attached to the
sexes. Practically everything is gendered
 … school supplies. Toothbrushes. (inflection, tone, volume, accent, pitch,
Snacks with bunnies or princesses on and rhythm).
them, and snacks with Superman. And
boy is the gender-neutral default. For The Divergent Paralanguage on women
girls, they ‘shrink it and pink it’. Men’s and men.
clothes generally are not as colorful or • Consider Socialization. Women, on
bright as women’s and are designed for average, use a higher pitch, a softer
function. Women’s clothing is quite volume, and more inflection. To
different. Reflecting social expectations assert themselves and command the
of femininity, women’s clothing is conversational stage, men tend to
designed to call attention to women’s use lower pitch and higher volume.
bodies and to make them attractive to • Consider Impact of smiling, vocal
viewers. pitch tends to rise when we smile
because of the way lips are
B. Proximity and Personal Space positioned.
Proxemics refers to space and our
• F. Physical Appearance
use of it. Space is an index of power, a
primary way to designate who is Despite the fact that striving to meet
important and privileged. Territoriality is physical ideals is commonly associated with
personal space. Yet, not everyone’s women and girls, men are not immune.
territory is equally respected. Men go into
women’s spaces more than women enter Men feel pressure to:
men’s spaces and more than men enter • Embody social prescriptions for
other men’s spaces. Also, men are more ideal masculinity
likely than women to challenge those • Having toned bodies as opposed
who enter their territory. to losing weight.
C. Haptics (Touch) Girls or women feel pressured to:
Haptics, or touch, from parents and
• Look good not just for special
other adults communicates different
occasions, but all the time
messages to boys and girls. Because
• Concern about weight - pervasive
men are generally taller and often
pressure to be thin
stronger than women, they tend to have
more physical confidence and to be more
➢ Almost half of people who have eating
willing to use bodily force than women.
disorders meet the criteria for a diagnosis
Boys are more likely to learn to associate
of clinical depression.
touching with control and power.
G. Interpreting Nonverbal Behaviors

D. Kinesics (Facial and Body Motion) Women are generally more skilled than
men at interpreting others’ nonverbal
Kinesics are face and body communication.
movements. Feminine kinesics behaviors
include tilting heads, smiling, and ➢ Sex-related brain differences
condensing their bodies while masculine ➢ Encouraged to be sensitive to others
kinesics behaviors include using large ➢ Encourages them to learn to read
gestures, taking up space, and entering their feelings and needs
others’ territories. ➢ Women’s decoding skill results from
their location as subordinate
E. Paralanguage - are vocal cues that members of society
accompany verbal communication
 Men recognize angry faces more quickly
than women
➢ men’s survival depended on having
a keen ability to detect anger and
other signs of possible aggression.

H. Respecting Gendered Styles of

Nonverbal Communication
Communicative technique – ask for
clarification of intent from
conversational partners.
The benefits:
➢ Minimize the potential for
misunderstandings that grow out of
gendered communication styles.
➢ Enhances your personal
effectiveness by increasing the
range of options you have for
communicating with different people
➢ Empower yourself to consciously
create a style that reflects the
identity you assign to yourself.

REFERENCES

Fixmer-Oraiz, N.& Wood, J. (2017). Gendred

Lives Communication, Gender, & Culture
Thirteenth Edition.

Furnham, A., Hester, C., & Weir, C. (1990). Sex

differences in the preferences for specific
female body shapes. Sex Roles, 22(11),
243-256. Doi: 10.1007/BF00292058