Gender Communication, What are The most important ways in which Gender Influences Communication?

Essay by uselessid1985University, Bachelor'sB, May 2006

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"Language is everything, language is the very basis of life it self with out language we as human beings would not exist" (Romaine ,1996 p.105)

As Suzanne Romaine states language is everything, this is entirely true. Let's just think how long we could survive with out having any type of language at all. Life would be immensely difficult. Language is used as communication and is heavily influenced by gender and their roles in society. These roles that each one of us works out or creates in them very first years at school.

The strong relationship between communication and gender strongly shapes and generates the communication practices of both genders. It is these relationships that this essay will discuss in greater detail.

"Communication between men and women can be like cross cultural communication..."(Tannen 1990 p.42) Tannen believes communication between male and female can be like two different languages. Well this is not far from the truth, men and women speak very differently to each other, and to members of the opposite sex.

Firstly boys learn at young age to talk to establish status and as way to exert control. They learn this early as 5 years old. They learn that to get what they want they must be powerful and to be powerful you must give orders. Boys always try to out do one another. There is this constant egotistical idea to be bigger and better than everyone else especially fellow males. This can be researched and observed from all age groups of males. As a contrast females do not use speech to acquire dominance status or power, they use communication to maintain and create relationships. They also use speech as way to share and learn about others and themselves.

It is these huge differences that can lead to misunderstandings and...