Communication Differences and Strategies
Shirley Bryant
SOC/333
August 27, 2012
Marvin Frohock

Communication Differences and Strategies

Communication skills are different among men and women in respect to, and because of, their various occupations and experiences. Women use terms that are more descriptive and take longer to get to the point, while men tend to start with the direct point and fill in as needed. There are also differences in how each gender interprets some phrases. This paper will discuss some of those differences, how these differences relate to miscommunication, and ways to deal effectively with these issues.
The skills used by men for non-verbal communication relate to their impressions and ideas of importance. The more important a man thinks he is, the more his body language will speak out. He will stand up straighter, use a louder voice, and be more expansive with his hand gestures. Eye contact will be at a minimum when talking to a subordinate, unless he is making or stressing a point. In relaxed social situations a man will spread out physically, taking up more space than necessary and using more expansive gestures with his entire body, while eye contact is almost non-existent no matter who he is conversing with. For a male dealing with another male of higher ranking, the body language is more subdued, with greater eye contact from the subordinate to the superior. When a male is dealing with a female of higher rank, his body language will reflect his comfort level for the situation.
For non-verbal communication among women, the skills are more varied. Women tend to maintain eye contact more frequently, regardless of whom they are talking to. They also tend to use more hand gestures, head nods, and small vocal agreements to show that they are paying attention to the speaker. Women use their overall body posture to show