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For this assignment I chose to focus on the section of the chapter that deals with the influence of gender on nonverbal communication. I have seen nonverbal communication influence my everyday conversations, but have never took the time to analyze the way in which gender influences the communication and how it also varies based on emotion and situation.
All of the various ways that gender influences nonverbal communication including eye contact, distance between the speaker and the listener, and also the uses of facial expressions during conversation have impacted my day to day interaction with other people, but you don’t really notice the differences until you begin to look for them and then they stick out more than any other aspect of a conversation. The text book states that cultural norms within our country distinguish between the ways in which males and females conduct interaction with others.
One of the most visibly distinguishing characteristics is the eye contact used while communicating. Typically women use more eye contact during conversation with other females and males than males usually do with holding conversations with conversational partners. I have noticed this in many of the conversation that I have had recently. When speaking with females and other males I find myself looking in other directions while formulating a response.
Also, I have observed during my conversations with females and also from watching other conversation between two females that they look at you directly in the face and hold a solid eye contact throughout the interaction. I also noticed similar observations related to the distance between the speaker and the listener. The text book states in relation to this topic that women interact at closer distances , with men and other women, than men do in same sex conversations. I have noticed this a lot.
I interact at varying distances dependent upon who I am talking to. If I am talking to my mom or sister , or any other female I stand at a closer distance to them than I would if I were talking to a male friend or even my dad or brother. I think this has to do with the masculinity that men portray to other men. The books also discusses the way men engage in conversations using body language. The book says that men usually lean towards the other person in the conversation more frequently than women do.
Men like to have more personal space and usually are granted that because of the cultural norms that we have established within our communication. Women also hold interactions facing their conversational partner and men hold conversations with other standing usually at an angle. I have also noticed this while observing other conversations going on around me. These trends are also common with the trends of facial expressions. The book states that women express more facial expressions than men do during conversation.
Women usually smile more and use more gesturing during conversation than men do. This is probably that main thing that I have observed within my own conversations and while watching others converse. You can watch a conversation happening between a man and a woman or two women and know what the overall theme, emotion, or trend of the conversation is just by observing the facial expressions and the gestures that are being used. I have noticed these influences before but never seen the impact they have on conversation and how they are used differently between different sexes.