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Communication Differences Between Men and Women in the Work Place

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Communication Differences Between Men and Women in the Work Place
Communication Differences between Men and Women in the work place
Neh Awundaga
Anne Rainey
CHFD 445 (Family Communication)
July 20th 2011

Communication Differences between Men and Women in the work place Men and women have cohabited on the planet with all the idiosyncrasies which are well known and experienced by all of us at some stage of our life. Men and women who live together also at the same places have to work together and in the process are known to get entangled with their personal perspectives. It is my position that men and women are equal but different. When I say equal, I mean that men and women have a right to equal opportunity and protection under the law. The fact that people in this country are assured these rights does not negate my observation that men and women are at least as different psychologically as they are physically.
For centuries, the differences between men and women were socially defined and distorted through a lens of sexism in which men assumed superiority over women and maintained it through domination. As the goal of equality between men and women now grows closer we are also losing our awareness of important differences. In some circles of society, politically correct thinking is obliterating important discussion as well as our awareness of the similarities and differences between men and women. The vision of equality between the sexes has narrowed the possibilities for discovery of what truly exists within a man and within a woman. The world is less interesting when everything is same.
Gender differences in the workplace typically stem from social factors, which influence the behaviors of men and women. Some organizations welcome gender diversity and encourage the inclusion of both sexes when making company decisions and offering promotional opportunities. Other organizations discourage gender inclusion and promote bias in the workplace. With most companies, gender differences



References: * Gender, language and the workplace: an exploratory study Fiona Sheridan, (2007) "Gender, language and the workplace: an exploratory study", Roger A. Ritvo, Anne Litwin, and Lee Butler, editors, Burr Ridge, Illinois: IRWIN Professional Publishing, 1995. * Article by Margery Weinstein (2006, November), “The differences between boys and girls…at the office”, retrieved 5 December 2008, from Research Library database. (Document ID: 1164950321). * Beebe, S.A., Beebe, S.J. & Redmond, M.V. (2011). Interpersonal Communication: Relating to Others (6th ed.). Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson Education, Inc. (ISBN: 0-205-48879-X)

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