Gender Communication - Definitional Entry

Gender communication has a lot to do with biological and psychological aspects. First and foremost, the words “sex” and “gender” cannot necessarily be used synonymously. One’s sex refers to their biological make-up in chromosomes, whereas gender is defined as “the social construction of masculinity and femininity.” To understand gender identity and development specific behaviors of males and females are thoroughly studied and compared to determine the correlation on how they perceive and present themselves as a male or female.

Based on a traditional perspective, it seemed significant for males and females to develop either masculine or feminine traits and have distinct communication behaviors. This of course led to gender stereotyping and sexism in which individuals are discriminated. Some of society’s norms grant that girls should not know more about cars than guys otherwise she is probably a lesbian or a tomboy because knowledge about cars is considered a more “manly” thing. The on the other hand, guys should not be running a pre-school, love interior designing, or do gardening because such activities are too feminine for a guy to be doing. These beliefs have developed overtime by all of us as a society. However, as time progresses, breakthroughs are being made and women are proving that “anything guys can do we can do too” whether it be in sports, construction, or even running a powerful business. Women are no longer being underestimated as much as they use to be back in the day and were only expected to be housewives while the men do all the hard labor. Also, today men can freely demonstrate their talents as amazing chefs, fashion designers, and practice other things that were not accepted when society emphasized being manly for a guy and being feminine for a woman.

An individual experiences gender development through different phases in their lifetime. Though when the individual is just born there are certain motor skills and verbal skills that he or she learns by means of the social learning theory. A male or female would gain knowledge through his or her own observations of a same-sex model within the household or through media. Their gender appropriate behaviors are reinforced by significant others in which any type of praise or punishment helps the individual lay out a foundation of their “gender” for the time being. The Freudian Identification theory later helps the individual be aware of their gender as “society would require of him or her as an adult.” It is believed that males have the fear of retaliation from a figure of higher authority whereas females have the fear of the loss of love. In a typical relationship, most males tend to dislike being confronted by their significant other and it is usually females who like to engage in a much more intimate discussion with their partners. According to a study by Gilligan for the moral voices theory, he concluded that masculinity is defined through separation (especially from their mothers) while femininity is defined through attachment. Females can maintain multiple relationships with girlfriends and boyfriends while males could only attain popular standing with everyone if they have good personal relationships with females. It is as if females are much more analytical of their relationships which tends to relate to the frequency of having “conflicts” and drama with others whereas males can live with individuation and move on with life. These beliefs and observations in behavior contribute to a much more wholesome understanding of gender communication.