MALE AND FEMALE COMMUNICATION STYLES (Essay Sample)

Male/Female Communication Styles Name: Institution: Introduction Over the years, there has been an almost endless debate about the differences between men and women. Women have particularly been on the receiving end of much criticism especially in regard to their behavior and preferences in everyday settings. One of them is that women tend to be too complicated and that it is virtually impossible to understand them. This is obviously a very harsh assertion that does not in real sense apply to all women. While some of the perceived differences between men and women are backed by solid and scientific evidence, others such as the one mentioned above are based on assumptions and inaccurate conclusions. Many sociologists have conducted research aimed at investigating differences between various aspects of men and women. One of these aspects is communication style. Communication is seen as the key to human interaction and over the years, it has been observed that there are significant differences when it comes to communication males and females. At the same time, there are some similar communication styles between members of these two genders. This paper aims to look at this aspect in key detail. According to researchers, human being beings when awake spend about 70% of their life communicating with one another (Boston, 2015). Communication in a general sense involves speaking and listening. About 30% of this communication is talking. This communication is also done with various people that range from friends, family members, and peers. Inadvertently, this communication also involves members of different genders. Men and women at one time or another communicate with each other. The differences in their communication style have the power to influence relationships of various nature including romantic relationships, family relationships, friendships and even workplace relationships. In order for communication between members of different genders to be constructive, it is crucial to understand the different styles through which men and women communicate. If this occurs, chances of misunderstandings and communication clashes are likely to be reduced significantly. Many authors argue that men usually communicate to report (Boston, 2015). This means that they communicate to give information that they feel is relevant. Because of this, they tend to talk about issues such as sports and business instead of talking about people. In addition, most men tend to be very precise when communicating. Their emphasis is on facts rather than details. The tendency of men to report when talking is tied to their need to establish social hierarchies. On the other hand, women talk to gain rapport (Boston, 2015). The purpose of communication for them is to connect with fellow human beings or gain crucial information. Women usually communicate with the purpose of creating support circles. Therefore, even the objects of their communication are significantly different from those of men. While men will talk about things such as sports and business, most of the women's talk is centered on people. Women talks are also characterized by a lot of feelings. Unlike the men who are very precise and whose focus and emphasis is on facts, the case is different in women who convey a lot of details in their communication (Boston, 2015). This latter aspect is one that particularly tends to frustrate a lot of men in their interactions with women. Men would like to communicate for only a short time and report whatever they feel the need for while women will always concentrate on details. This can lead to clashes between males and females, and this is why as it was mentioned earlier, it is crucial to understand the differences between male and female communication styles. The above discussion reveals one key thing about differences in communication between men and women; that these differences essentially arise from the fact that males and females view the purposes of communication significantly differently. Research by sociologists and psychologists shows that many females utilize communication as means of creating relationships and enhancing social connections, males usually utilize communication as a tool of exerting dominance as well as achieving various tangible outcomes (Merchant, 2012). Women when communicating tend to tentative, expressive and polite. On the other hand, men are power hungry and assertive (Baird & Bradley, 1979). This aspect has been clearly seen in the discussion above. Men see conversation as a means of establishing or even maintaining their dominance and status. This is especially so when it comes or male-female relationships whether of a romantic or professional nature (Gray, 2009). On the other hand, women see communication as a means of fostering or creating intimate bonds with the second party (Gray, 2009). This is especially in regards to issues and problems that both parties in the communication may be facing. In situations of conflict, women are seen as having a higher likelihood or providing better solutions in the long term and calming things down because of their polite and tentative language and their willingness to discuss problems in details (Baird & Bradley, 1979). This is quite contrary to the communication style of men in conflict times. The ability of men to offer viable long term solutions in times of conflict is hindered by the fact that they tend to shy away from talking intimately about interpersonal problems. The communication styles between men and women can also be analyzed in terms of power. Generally, women are said to communicate less powerfully when compared to their male counterparts (Merchant, 2012). Their language is also more respectful and clean, for example, they do not swear much. They use a lot of intensifiers, and they also tag questions. When communicating especially with males, women interrupt less. This could be a natural trait or could be down to the reason that they feel that they are of a lower status and, therefore, prefer not to interrupt. The latter could also be the reason why some researchers have found women intentionally weakening their statements. The women have lower self-confidence in regard to what they are saying and because they fear being wrong and therefore being admonished, they tell weaker statements (Merchant, 2012). When it comes to stress, males and females cope differently. Men, for instance, cope through withdrawal from situations that involve conversations. This is the opposite for women who cope via reaching out widely to people like friends and families and speaking about what is ailing them (Merchant, 2012). This is once again down to the reason that men view conversations as a tool for negotiation of power and dominance and, therefore, have no use in stressful situations. Women, on the other hand, see communication as to tool for negotiation as well as the preservation of closeness and intimacy. Men are of the opinion that communication may involve being given orders, something that they would like to avoid at all times since they think that it involves lack of independence, as well as the attainment of a lower status. This is quite contrary to females who are enthusiastic about even taking order since they see it as a way of connecting with the other person, especially if it is their male romantic partner (Gray, 2009). .When faced with problems, men will tend to offer quick solutions as a way of evading talking about the real problem (Merchant, 2012). Women on the hand expect to talk about the problem, in great detail and share it with fellow women therefore creating some level of closeness and intimacy. This gender difference in communication has various implications for many male-female relationships and sometimes even in the workplace. For example, service jobs usually involve communication with the customer. In fact, effective communication in this job sector is the main selling point since once deals with direct customers who require detailed explanations about the services on offer. In such a sector, communica...