Communication Differences Between Men And Women

All of us have different styles of communicating with other people. Our style depends on a lot of things: where we’re from, how and where we were brought up, our educational background, our age, and it is also can depend on our gender. Generally speaking, men and women talk differently although there are varying degrees of masculine and feminine speech characteristics in each of us. But men and women speak in particular ways mostly because those are associated with their gender.

The styles that men and women use to communicate have been described as “debate vs. relate” , “report vs. rapport”, or competitive vs. co-operative”. Men often seek straightforward solutions to problems and useful advice whereas women tend to try and establish intimacy

Women’s conversation tends to emphasize feelings more, which may also think about feelings more. It is does not, however, mean that women are more emotional. It is perfect. It is possible that are just as emotional, but for social reasons they talk about their feelings less. Similarly, the fact that in most cultures men argue more about abstract things does not mean that men are naturally more logical, it just means that the things men prefer to talk about require logical argument more than they require expression of feeling. Obviously the more you argue the better you get at it, hence the prejudice that men are somehow biologically more logical. 3 In reality, men and women have diverse ways of speaking, thinking and communicating overall. For men, communication is a way to negotiate for power, seek wins, avoid failure and offer advice, among other things. For women, communication is a way to get closer, seek understanding and find equality or symmetry.

Much of this communication takes place using nonverbal cues. Nonverbal communication is integral to how we communicate. But each gender uses different nonverbal cues when communicating which cause conflicts for both sexes when they communicate with each

Men also smile less. Women tend to rely heavily on facial expressions, including head nodding and eye contact.

Another type is paralanguage, women use paralanguage more than men. This includes gesturing noises such as “mhm”, “ah” and “oh”, as well as head nodding. These gestures are a way to convey, “I am listening and understanding you”, without actually saying it. Men also use paralanguage during communication, but do also less frequently, and it is usually just to confirm someone’s comment or to say, “I agree”. Physical space is also a type of nonverbal communication. Men are much more likely to command and use personal space than women. Men often prefer face-to-face communication, with the opportunity to shake hands or pat someone’s shoulder. Women are usually confortable speaking with someone side by side and are more comfortable being in close proximity with other women. Eye contact is considered to be a type of nonverbal communication. Women typically use more direct eye contact during communication in order to make a strong connection and develop relationships. Men, however, use eye contact most commonly as a challenge of power or