by Steve Siler
April 2018 Presentation at Coast Women in Business
Following are current concepts regarding gender communication issues.
Gender exists on a continuum – there is no absolute.
Masculine 5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 Feminine
Disclosure of Information – Processing How Much to Say
| MASCULINE | FEMININE |
|---|---|
| Be productive | Explore and organize |
| Get results | Discover the point |
| Be efficient | Not looking for solution: looking for listening and understanding |
| Only the essential information |
What It Means to Listen
| MASCULINE | FEMININE |
|---|---|
| What’s being asked of me? | Conversation as an end in itself |
| Advice? | Understanding |
| Assistance? | Connection |
| What can be done about this? |
Nonverbal Immediacy
| MASCULINE | FEMININE |
|---|---|
| Taught to disregard | Taught to read and respond |
Style
| MASCULINE | FEMININE |
|---|---|
| High power | Low power |
| Male-oriented as standard | Must adopt male-oriented standard to be taken seriously |
| Patriarchal privilege entitlement misogyny |
Differences in Relations Toward “Other”
| MASCULINE | FEMININE |
|---|---|
| Value their independence | More social in their interactions |
| Self-assertive | Create and foster bonds |
| Conversation as a means to establish and maintain dominance | Intimacy in conversation |
| Boundary awareness; where work relationship ends and individual identity begins | Communal problems and issues discussed |
| Enhance social connections and relationships |
Conversation Dynamics
| MASCULINE | FEMININE |
|---|---|
| Interrupt more | Give directions as a question |
| Aware of dominance/control | Disadvantage to women: tentative subordinate perception as second class |
| Oriented to lower status of women: gender hierarchy | Face to face |
| Confident | Talk about it |
| Capable | Turn to others for support |
| Shoulder to shoulder | |
| Internalize feelings | |
| Withdraw | |
| Isolate | |
| To be authentic/transparent isn’t a good idea at work |
Leadership Style
| MASCULINE | FEMININE |
|---|---|
| Value status | Foster closer bonds |
| More controlling and authoritative | Interpersonal style |
| Power orientation dominance aggression problem-solving ambitious for advancement | Relational approach take care democratic participatory role-oriented |
| Task-oriented approach take charge goal-oriented autocratic direct controlling | Transformational approach inspire change values and needs-based collective is more important than individual needs |
| Transactional approach management-oriented reward meeting goals punish not meeting goals take-charge approach task-oriented individual achievement competitive | Develop potentials Create common goals Gain trust and confidence Inspire Create common vision Communal Team-oriented achievement |
Learning more about these concepts in gender communication issues can be very helpful.
See also by the same author:
About the Presenter
Steve Siler is a psychotherapist with 20 years of experience, who teaches psychology classes at the local branch of Mendocino College. He has lived on the coast for 40 years, and he developed and ran the Mendocino Community High School, an alternative high school, for 20 years. Steve is also a theatrical producer and director.
About Coast Women in Business
Coast Women in Business supports the business community on the coast. We meet monthly to foster entrepreneurship and professional development on the Mendocino Coast and beyond. Membership fees are $50 annually or $10 per drop-in meeting. Your first meeting is always free. We’re sponsored by the Women’s Business Center at the West Business Development Center. We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting!
Please contact us with any questions. We look forward to hearing from you!
2 thoughts on “Gender Communication Issues”