Gender Difference and Stereotype in Effective Cross-Gender Communication

鄒雙琳

Abstract：Any cross-cultural communication， including cross-gender communication， may have misunderstandings and diverse cultural backgrounds. Effective cross-gender communication largely depends on the gender differences and the influences of stereotype. Only if we realize the facts of language differences between different genders， cultivate the sensitivity and avoid the fossilization of intercultural communication can we prevent and overcome faults caused and achieve the purpose of effective communication in social life.

Key Words： cross-gender communication， gender difference， stereotype

Introduction

Intercultural communication， sometimes used synonymously with cross-cultural communication， seeks to understand how people from different countries and cultures act， communicate and perceive the world around them. As a separate notion， it studies situations where people from different cultural backgrounds interact. It plays a role in anthropology， cultural studies， linguistics， psychology and communication studies. A communication culture is a group of people with an existing set of norms regarding how they communicate with each other. These cultures can be categorized as masculine or feminine. Gender cultures are primarily created and sustained by interaction with others. To a large extend cross-culture communication is cross-gender communication. Communications between the male and the female may encounter the same problems as those in the general cross-cultural context， in which gender difference and stereotyping play important roles. Studies on the issue will produce effective results in favor of positive interactivities among people.

1 Gender and Gender Culture

As a word， gender has more than one valid definition. It is the wide set of characteristics that are seen to distinguish between male and female entities， extending from ones biological sex to ones social role or gender identity. Gender and sex are not synonyms. While “women” and “men” refer to sex， “feminine” and “masculine” refer to gender. While it is commonly believed that our sex is the root source of differences and how we relate and communicate to others， it is actually gender that plays a larger role. Were able to communicate across cultural boundaries， but we still havent learned how to communicate across gender lines. Author John Gray concluded in Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus that we learn to communicate in distinct ways based on our sex. Hence， the stereotypical rational man and the emotional woman are embedded in many ideologies of our society. In order to communicate effectively across cultures and genders， we must bridge these communication gaps.

2 Gender Differences in Cross-Gender Communication

According to William Labov （1972）， in the mainstream culture of the same circle even though members of all cultures use the same language， there still exist a number of different communicative cultures because their different groups may be different from other groups to share a set of communicative rules and norms. It is the same as the majority users of the same language may belong to different communities. This also explains the existence of gender culture and the reasonableness of communication. Researchers have found some universal differences between the sexes. Understanding some of these differences in cross-gender communication styles will give us more choices in how to act and arm ourselves with the awareness and skills that enable us to accelerate through the business hierarchy with minimum stress and maximum success.

3 Stereotypes

Allport holds that stereotypes are those over-generalized and oversimplified beliefs we use to categorize a group of people. Stereotypes create expectations regarding emotional expression and emotional reaction. Stereotypes are exaggerated statements regarding our belief about what a group of people are or should be. We form stereotypes in three ways. First， we may categorize people or things by the most obvious characteristics they process. Second， we may apply a set of characteristics to a whole group of people. Third， we may give the same treatment to each member of the group. Reacting in a stereotype-consistent manner may result in social approval while reacting in a stereotype-inconsistent manner could result in disapproval.

4 Gender Stereotyping in Cross-Gender Communication

Expectations that people have for their sexual roles and the correspondently appropriate behaviors consist of the relatively stable and fixed sex stereotype， which can be seen and reflected in the cross-gender communication. Because stereotypes are based on our belief and attitude systems， they affect the way we communicate in intercultural encounters. They may prevent us from interacting with people of different backgrounds; they tend to produce negative feelings during the interactions; and they can lead to unnecessary conflicts when they are intense. To solve the problems of stereotypes， empathy is the main communication skill we should learn. Empathetic persons know how to show understanding by projecting themselves into their partners position. This means that to be empathetic in interactions we need to be open-minded in terms of information sharing， to be imaginative in correctly drawing the picture of others situation， and to show a commitment or strong willingness to understand our culturally different partners in any kinds of situation.

Conclusion

The gender differences and stereotypes have a great influence on the success and effectiveness of cross-gender communication. If we dont have a better understanding， communicational barriers tend to be troublesome. Thus， some measures and steps need to be taken to prevent or overcome such problems. First， we should cultivate a better understanding of gender differences and gender culture differences. Secondly， the females should form a sense of self-fulfillment and confidence in social communication. Thirdly， it is necessary for communication participants to enhance the sensitivity and consciousness of cross-gender communication. Finally， the best cure in advance lies in mutual understanding and communication， which helps to ease tension， avoid misunderstanding and conflicts and reach reciprocal communication results.

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（作者單位：云南大學滇池學院）