Sex Differences
Communication is an integral part of human beings. Communication in humans varies widely with other animals which have other means of communication. Sociologists and psychologists claim that male and female talk differently because of may be social conditioning or basic physiology. The difference in communication between men and female has become an interesting subject in the recent years. Many scholars are looking for ways and means to prove if this is actually true or not. According to Ronald Macaulay claims that some differences in expression, much of the linguistic differences are based on myths and old age stereotypes. This paper will evaluate the sex differences in communication basing on Holmes, Kornheiser, Macaulay, Rafelman and Thompson assumptions.
According to Holmes, women have been found to talk very much. They are likened to the lambs’ tails which are said that they are never still. Holmes asks; is this assumption based on stereotype or facts. Do women really talk much than men do? Holmes argues that women do not talk much than men. She claims that this is biased because men hold the positions of power and decide when to talk. She says that men find women to be talking too much when they are in an informal setting. Evidence found showed that men are the ones who talk more than the women especially in a setting where both men and women are involved in talking. In researches carried out from the kindergartens all the way to tertiary institutions found out that male contribute more in classes than the female.
Formal settings are not an exception to these differences. In researches carried out in by American, British and New Zealand researchers found out that in the formal sector, men dominated the discussions and talked relatively longer than women. Informal settings though not researched on much had the same results. The main purpose of the informal communication is maintaining contact, developing friendships and intimate relationships. Women were found to contribute more in talking in a relaxed social context in which relationships can be developed and maintained. Women therefore talk more in the contexts of developing and maintaining personal relationships. They were also found to contribute more in a semi formal context. Women are more cooperative where there are lengthy talks than most men.
Social confidence in both male and female was found to make people contribute more to talks regardless of their gender. Women in social contexts embracing traditional gender roles were found to talk less than women in feminists’ organizations. This shows that women can talk more if they have social confidence.
Tony Kornheiser brings out a complaint that women and men do not talk the same language. He uses the example of his daughter and notices that women take time to gather information and then dispense the information without discrimination.
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