SUMMARY:

Today’s notes will be on “Gendered Nonverbal Communication”, specifically chapter 6 of Gendered Lives. 

HIGHLIGHTS:

I. Functions of Nonverbal Communication:

A. To Supplement Verbal Communication
1. In five ways:
a. Nonverbal communication may ¹repeat words.
(ex. Right! & then pointing to the right)
b. We may nonverbally ²contradict a verbal message.
(ex. saying “I’m fine” while weeping)
c. Nonverbal behavior may ³complement verbal communication by underlining verbal messages.
(ex. “I never want to see you again” is more forceful with a glare)
d. Sometimes nonverbal behaviors are used to ⁴replace verbal ones.
(ex. shrugging shoulder rather than saying “I don’t know”)
e. Nonverbal communication may ⁵accent verbal messages, telling us what is important.
(ex. saying “I love you” or saying “I LOVE you”)

B. To Regulate Interaction- Using body posture, eye contact and vocal inflection to tell others
that we want to say something or that we are finished speaking.
1. Sex-related differences in patterns of regulating interaction.
a. Women- Invite others into a conversation.
b. Men- To hold the audience or maintain the spotlight.

C. To Establish the Relationship Level of Meaning- Is conveyed through the expressions of the communicators
1. Three Primary dimensions:
a. Responsiveness- Showing attentiveness and interest in what others say and do.
(ex. body posture that expresses interest/involvement)
b. Liking- Showing our like or dislike of others.
(ex. Proximity to others while standing, touching, eye contact)
c. Power or Control- How we exert dominance/equality through interrupting or deferring.
(ex. *power- whether or not we are equal to or dominant over another control.*control- who defines topics and the direction of the conversation)

II. Forms of Nonverbal Communication:

A. Artifacts- Personal objects that express identity and influence how see ourselves.
(ex. A baby being wrapped in a pink or blue blanket to distinguish sex of an infant)

B. Proximity and Personal Space- Our use of space.
(ex. territoriality Our personal space that we don’t want others invading(

C. Haptics (Touch) from parents/adults communicates different messages to boys and girls.
(ex. Parents tend to touch daughters more often and more gently as opposed to sons)
(ex. Boys are more likely to learn to associate touching with power and control)

D. Kinesics- face and body movements.
(ex. Common in Women- Tilting head, smiling and try to have their bodies take-up less space)
(ex. Common in Men- Using large gestures, taking up space and entering others territories)

E. Paralanguage- vocal cues that accompany verbal communication.
(ex. In general Women- Use higher pitches, softer volume and more inflection)
(ex. In general Men- Use lower pitches, greater volume and command the conversational stage)

F. Physical Appearance- Feelings of pressure to meet cultural ideals of physical appearance.
(ex. For Women- wearing makeup and doing hair)
(ex. For Men- having a defined/muscular physique)

III. Interpreting Nonverbal Behavior:
A. Research Shows
1. Females exceed males in ability accurately to decode nonverbal behaviors.
a. This could be because of the female/male differentiations:
-Biology: female right brain specialization
-Social Learning and Cognitive Development: from childhood most females are encouraged to embrace their sensitive side.
-Standpoint: Women’s caregiver/nurturing tendencies vs. Men’s primary family provider.

IV. Cultural Values Associated  With Gendered Nonverbal Communication:
1. Women tend to emphasize communality-building and sustaining relationships.
2. Men tend to emphasize agency-displaying power, initiative and achievements.

V. Respecting Gendered Styles of Nonverbal Communication:
-Empowerment of effectiveness in our interpretations when communicating with others.
-Understanding the different between those who are brought up in a feminine speech community (more demure approach) vs. a masculine speech community (a domineering approach).
-Suspending our personal point of view to allow for enlightenment from another point of view.
-Reflecting on your own nonverbal communications you allow for a consciously creative style of your own to develop.

VOCABULARY:

Artifact- Personal object that can both express identity and influence how we see ourselves.

Haptics- Touch

Kinesics- Face and body movements.

Liking- A second dimension of the relationship level of meaning.

Nonverbal Communication- All elements of communication other than words themselves.

Paralanguage- Vocal cues that accompany verbal communication.

Power- The third aspect of the relationship level of meaning. Power refers to the degree to which we act if we are equal to, dominant over, or deferential to others.

Proxemics- Space and our use of it.

Responsiveness- The first dimension of the relationship level of meaning.

Territoriality- Personal space that we don’t want others to invade.

 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

 Links to Related References:

http://psychology.about.com/od/nonverbalcommunication/a/nonverbaltypes.htm -This is an interesting site that reiterates what we learned in Chapter 6. It also has several good links embedded in it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUXtGQkJcQ0&feature=fvwp&NR=1- Gestures and Body Language video tutorial.

Madeline Heilman, a professor from NYU, conducted an experiment to measure human response to sex bias in the workplace. She asked two groups a question about a strong but outgoing boss, with one group hearing the boss as female, and the other male.Three quarters of the responders favored the male boss simply because he was male. Though Heilman’s study of sex bias is just one of the many examples presented by Vedantan, it clearly demonstrates the unconscious sexism we perpetuate in and out of the workplace. Vedantan acknowledges that though a truce can sometimes be met between the power of the sexes, it is not for long. Regardless of our personal response, sexism exists heavily.