Differences between genders
Sophia Achamsi
Nonverbal Communication
Differences between genders
Sophia Achamsi
Nonverbal Communication Differences Between Genders ”The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn 't said.” No one, by no means, can disagree with the quote of Professor Peter F. Drucker which simply and clearly indicates the importance of nonverbal communication. Intercultural communication stresses on the nonverbal way of transmitting messages since some statistics showed that about two-third of the meaning in an interaction is conveyed nonverbal communication and only one-third by verbal communication (Birdwhistell, 1955; Burgoon, 1994). As this type of communication varies from one culture to another, it also varies from one gender to another. In the following essay, I will attempt to shed light on some of the differences in a nonverbal communication between genders, as well as discussing how these differences affect the relationship between them. Nonverbal communication is defined as "an elaborate code that is written nowhere, known by none, and understood by all " (1). Nonverbal communication is considered to be a vital and powerful form of communication. People are very likely to trust your facial expression more than your words. Types of nonverbal communication are many such as: kinesics (body language), space (proxemics), facial expression, eye contact (oculesics), time (chronemics), touch (haptics), voice (paralanguage), and physical appearance. Studies lately have shown that these types differ and vary, in addition to culture, between genders. Men and women differ in the purposes of communication. According to John Gray, author of the best-seller "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus." Men generally communicate to transmit information and solve specific problems, while women usually use communication to express feelings and achieve emotional
References: 1- Edward Sapir (1935) 2- http://www.psychologytoday.com/ 3- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paralanguage 4- http://www.ehow.com/list_6306177_gender-differences-non-verbal-communication.html 5- http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/body-language-of-men-and-women-9431.html 6- http://www.livestrong.com/article/172581-do-men-women-use-nonverbal-communication-differently/