Communication

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorCollege, Undergraduate April 2001

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In speaking to another person, we communicate our feelings, interests and desires. What we say, and how we say it, is an important tool in understanding each other. Defined, communication entails the transfer of information, such as thoughts and messages. ("Communication") Men and women, being different creatures, express their thoughts and messages differently.

The ways in which they speak to each other are often misunderstood because of the different mentalities involved. "Women tend to talk in questions, while men tend to talk in statements," Kelly Caitlin Walker, an executive at Impact Productions explains. "Women typically start a conversation with the who, what, where, when and why and proceed to the bottom line. Men start with the bottom line and then back it up with data." (Understanding the Communication Gap) This sim! ple example shows only the different approaches men and women have in the workplace, but it extends into other parts of life.

Young adults in colleges also address the differences in communication techniques as they apply to sexual issues. "Between men and women, there can be a lot of double meanings, confusion, and missed communication. When this happens around sexual issues, it can mean trouble - like acquaintance rape," warns the Counseling Center of the University of Buffalo.

While they use the same words, men and women often misunderstand each other because of what is left unsaid; the inferences and interpretations made by each gender in communication hold a world of difference. It is these differences that cause us to constantly spark and react off one another, but the key to solving our communication difficulties lies in understanding how to communicate effectively and productively.

In recent times, the roles of men and women in society have changed.

Males were typically thought of as the "breadwinner" of the family, and...