Transcript Verbal and Nonverbal Communication of Americans

John R. Baldwin, Ph.D.
School of Communication
Illinois State University
[email protected]
November 9, 2005
So….What do we mean by “difference”?
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Overlapping bell curves
Diversity among
difference
Changing (co-)cultures
Race & Gender: Who is
“more different”?
The haunting question:
Are differences between
groups greater than the
differences within
groups?
Top Challenges for Women & Men
(Barbara Annis & Associates)
Challenges for
Women
•Dismissed because of
communication style
•Ignored, interrupted
•Tested
•Third Sex (identity)
•Excluded, avoided
•Tokens
Challenges for Men
•Confused
•Careful (eggshells!)
•“Reverse
Discrimination”
•Difficult supporting
women
•Communication
(http://baainc.com/baarticle1.htm)
Deborah Tannen’s Approach
Women
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Rapport
Collaboration
Men
• Report
• Competition
Deborah Tannen (cont’d)
Women
Men
• Interruptions
• Telling stories
• Nonverbal feedback (mm hmm)
• Posture & NV communication
Another way to see the same thing
http://www.genderwork.com/services/organizationaldev.html
Gender Linked Language Effect
Male Leadership—Female Leadership
[Natalle, 1996]
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Competitive
Organizes
hierarchically
Transactional
Objective: to win
High control
Reason & analysis
Low emotional
involvement
“Sports team” models
Command/control
leader
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Bottom line:
cooperation
Organizes in teams
Interactive
Objective: quality
output
Shared control
High performance
standards
Empathy & Support
Collaborative
interaction
Democratic
See also: http://www.womentodaymagazine.com/career/differences.html
When Women and Men
Communicate
Double Binds
Women
Men
•Forced to choose “womb” or
“brain”—can’t use both
•If feminine, incompetent; if
competent, not feminine
•As men age, they gain
wisdom & power; as women
age, they gain wrinkles &
irrelevance
•Men can’t show emotions &
be masculine at the same
time
•Men aren’t allowed to play
“traditional” career roles & be
seen as successful
•Men who support women’s
advances are not
“masculine.” Those who don’t
are “chauvinist”
Changing Gender Generalizations

The changing woman
 Feminism
○ Liberal
○ Radical
 Women in sports
 Women reclaiming
identity
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The changing man
 Metrosexuals
 Ubersexuals
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgibin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2001999488&zsection_id=268448455&slug=kleiman08&date=20040808;
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2001999488_kleiman08.html;
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/12879530.htm
Stereotypes of Women (Wood, 1999)
Stereotyping is the
“major reason
behind the gender
gap in leadership”
--Ilene H. Lang,
President, Catalyst
www.aribella.com/genderbias.htm, in
Washingtonpost.com (10/30/05)
[See also
http://www.intekworld.com/Newsl
etters/February2002/gender_com
m.htm ]
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Sex object:
 Pleasing appearance
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Mother
 “not serious
professionals”
Iron Maiden
 Child
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Stereotypes of Men (Wood, 1999)
Who stereotypes women
in the workplace?
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“In other words, men run
the organization and
women support them.
That just the way most of
us think, right?...But why,
after all this time. . . Are
we still putting women in
their stereotypical
places?”
--Amy Joyce,
Washingtonpost.com,
10/30/05
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Sturdy Oak:
 Self-contained
 Not weak or reliant
Fighter
 No room for “wimpy”
commitment
 Aggressive
 Conflicting
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Breadwinner
 Success objects
Communication and Power…
Separation
Accommodation
Assimilation
Nonassertive
•Avoiding
•Maintaining
interpersonal barriers
•Increasing visibility
•Dispelling
stereotypes
•Emphasizing
commonalities
•Averting controversy
Assertive
•Intragroup
networking
•Exemplifying
strengths
•Using liaisons
•Educating others
•Extensive
preparation
•Overcompensating
Aggressive
•Attacking
•Sabotaging
•Confronting
•Gaining advantage
•Mirroring
•Strategic Distancing
From M. P. Orbe, M. P. (1998) Constructing co-cultural theory: An explication of
culture, power, and communication. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
What is a “Co-Culture”?
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A group that has little or no say in
creating the dominant structure of
society
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E.G. Ethnic or religious minorities,
homosexuals, the disabled, etc…
Why learn about co-cultural
communication?
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“Identification and explication of the
communication practices of co-cultural
groups are valuable and important for
understanding how persons, marginalized
in a dominant society, communicate with
those who have direct access to
institutional power.”
FOR MORE INFO...
--Orbe, 1998 (p. 86)
Background to CCT
 Standpoint
(feminist) theory
 Each group has partial knowledge
 Some partial knowledges are more
complete than others: Subordinate
group knows dominant more than
dominant knows subordinate (why?)
 It is important to learn perspectives
of subordinate groups (why?)
Background to CCT
 Muted Group (feminist) theory
 Dominant group shapes the language of a
society
 Co-cultures must create their own
language to make sense of their reality
 Yet, dominant culture privileges one
speech code (dominant) over the other (cocultural), often through ridicule,
marginalization, and (perhaps
unintentional) dominance in modes of
language creation and propagation
Six Universal Influences
1.
2.
3.
Preferred Outcomes—“What
communication behavior will lead to the
effect that I desire?”
Field of Experience– “What past
interactions have I had with dominant
group members that will influence my
current behavior?
Abilities– “What are my physical and
psychological limitations in
communicating with the dominant
culture?”
Continued…
4.
5.
6.
Situational Context– “In what situation
am I communicating with the dominant
culture?”
Perceived Costs and Rewards—
“What do I stand to gain and lose from
an interaction with a member of the
dominant culture?”
Communication Approach– “Which of
the three approaches will I employ to
achieve my preferred outcome?”
1.
Assimilation – trying to get rid of all cultural
differences in an attempt of fit into the dominant
culture.
2.
Accommodation – insisting that the dominant
culture reinvent or change the rules of society so
it can incorporate the life experiences of each coculture group.
3.
Separation – rejecting the notion of forming a
common bond with dominant group and seeking
to maintain separate group identities outside the
dominant structure.
1.
Nonassertive – behaviors in which individuals are
seemingly inhibited and non-confrontational;
putting the needs of others before one’s own.
2.
Assertive – communication practices that
encompass self-enhancing expressive behavior
that takes into account the needs of others and
one’s self.
3.
Aggressive – communication practices that can be
perceived as hurtfully expressive and selfpromoting. Aggressive practices assume control
over the choices of others.
Female Managers with Male Employees
1.
2.
3.
4.
Don’t take it personally if some men don’t
particularly like working with or for a female.
(It’s just a job; you don’t have to be liked).
Be direct, concise, and to the point in
conversation. Don’t assume he will pick up
subtle cues or ask for information.
Don’t offer help apologetically. Just give
suggestions directly.
Lighten up a little. (you can have a sense of
humor and gain credibility also).
--Judith Tingley: Suggestions for
Genderflexing
Male Managers with Female Employees
1.
2.
3.
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Listen and talk, rather than tell.
Treat your female subordinate equally.
(same opportunities to deal with tough tasks,
interesting projects, hard or physical work)
Recognize the need for difference in how you
communicate
(e.g., jokes, military or sports metaphors)
Give more positive feedback about performance
than you think might be necessary in managing
men (women may need more approval—on
performance, not appearance)
--Judith Tingley: Suggestions for
Genderflexing
Solutions… “Cultural” differences
Describe, don’t evaluate
 Recognize value differences
 Be aware of attribution
 Be aware of stereotypes (yours &
theirs!)
 Be aware of different meanings
 Know yourself!
 Look for similarities (too)
 Don’t confuse people with cultures
 Talk through differences
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Solutions…Prejudice & Stereotypes
Be a situational leader
 Win respect
 Step out of your comfort zone
 Led go of the need to be liked
 Practice leadership and accountability
 Learn to laugh
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[Terri Mrosko, www.aribella.com/genderbias.htm]
Is that all there is?
Solutions…and Questions
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What solutions and strategies
have worked for you?
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What questions do you have?
To contact speaker: [email protected]