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Communication and Gender
Based on the physical and psychological aspects that define one’s gender, females tend to talk a lot as compared to their male counterparts. Additionally, they are more willing to offer detailed descriptions of events or individuals than men are. Analysts justify this assumption by comparing the brain structures of men and women. Moreover, they argue that this trait is due to an existing relationship between their hormonal constituents, historic perspective, and social norms. For instance, in The Female Brain, Louann Brizendine indicates that girls are detail-oriented from a tender age.
According to surveys conducted regarding this subject matter, a one-year-old girl child looks at her mother ten to twenty times in search of her approval while this frequency is considerably low in male children. Additionally, the high testosterone levels in boys facilitate their connection with the external environment through curiosity as opposed to interacting with their mother through verbal or facial interactions. Accordingly, the author of this informative book suggests that this developmental stage facilitates the high level of verbal communications among women as compared to men.
A few days ago, I attempted to justify this hypothesis by observing the behavior of members of my music school club. This social club consists of fifty members with twenty of these students being females. In addition to all associates being passionate about music, the coordinating team constitutes of members from various academic levels in the school. These aspects aid in creating a partially formal setting with a friendly atmosphere. On this occasion, we generated a debate regarding the evolution of music in the recent past in terms of genres, visual appeal, and content. Although we did not categorize ourselves into definite subgroups, each individual had an opportunity to contribute to this discussion.
As I observed the arguments of my peers, it was evident that members of both genders have differences in various communication aspects. To start with, most of the female participants who engaged in this discussion provided detailed information regarding this subject matter. Most of them tackled a particular aspect of the debate and used numerous examples to justify their arguments. The use of body language including facial expressions and gestures also supported the assumption that women are detail-oriented in their conversations. In contrast, most male participants tackled a number of subtopics regarding the issue under consideration although they limited the examples used to substantiate their arguments. By use of a timer, I realized that the female debaters took longer to covey their ideas as compared to the boys.
On a separate scenario, I observed my friends’ behaviors as a way of testing my hypothesis and justifying my observations from the past music club debate session. A few weeks ago, I accompanied my friends to the movie theater to watch one of my favorite animated films. My pals included two boys and a girl. Everyone was full of excitement since the movie was one of the latest and most advertised films. As we headed to the theatre, I realized that my female friend and I were more vocal than our male pals were. We talked about previous events in the cinema as well as our expectations regarding this movie. Although the boys engaged in the conversation, they included fewer details in their conversations. For instance, as we reminisced about our experiences as children, the two boys only provided concise remarks. Moreover, inside the cinema, the boys watched the movie silently while my female friend and I constantly commented about certain aspects of the movie. Additionally, we conversed in low tones about various people in the theater including their mode of dressing and physique.
These two scenarios validated my supposition regarding the difference in communication between members of both genders. From my observations, females are more detail-oriented in their conversations, and they often talk a lot as compared to their male counterparts. Furthermore, I appreciated certain patterns with reference to these communication elements. To start with, women tend to include body language while emphasizing a point or when explaining a particular aspect in their dialogues. Moreover, while performing certain tasks, men tend to talk less than women do. Conversely, women can carry out various undertakings at the same time while still engaging in conversations. Surprisingly, this aspect of multitasking does not necessarily result in unsatisfactory results. For instance, although we talked while watching a movie, we did not miss any detail of the film.
These trends and observations relate to various research findings documented regarding this subject matter. To begin with, the estrogen in females results in a higher level of social connections especially during puberty as a way of dealing with their fears. Additionally, since their attraction to the opposite sex is high in addition to the subconscious competition amongst themselves, they use their natural language skills as a survival mechanism in the social world. In contrast, the testosterone in boys lowers their urge to socialize except in matters about sex or sports. Despite these facts, I cannot help but question the influence of one’s personality in such communication aspects. Does one’s individuality affect his or her socialization and level of communication?