Thursday, April 29, 2010

Discussion and References

Discussion
After researching the books, articles, and journals, I believe there is a strong difference in communication between men and women; that was also evident during the experiment and from the answers the respondents gave on the survey. A weakness in this study is that the couples may not act as they would when they are alone because they know that I am watching them. I also believe a weakness is by me studying only 5 couples; I am not getting an accurate picture because these 5 couples do not represent the greater whole. For future research, I suggest that more subjects are studied and possibly a greater number of respondents are used for the survey.

References
Dougherty, D., Klatzke, S. R., Kramer M.W., Rogers, T. K. K. (2009). “Language

convergence and meaning divergence: A meaning centered communication theory.”

Communication Monographs, Mar. 2009, Vol. 76 Issue 1, 27, 20-46.

Fletcher, G. J. O., Overall, N. C., Sibley C. G., Simpson, J. (2009). “Regulating partners in

intimate relationships: The costs and benefits of different communication strategies.” Journal of

Personality & Social Psychology, Mar. 2009, Vol. 96 Issue 3, 20, 620-639.

Tannen, D. (1986). That’s not what I meant!: How conversational style makes or breaks a

relationship. New York: Ballantine Publishing Group.

Tannen, D. (1990). You just don’t understand: Women and men in conversation. New York:

Harper Collins Publishers Inc.

“Women, men differe in comfort levels while talking.” Spectra; Jan 2000, Vol. 36 Issue 1, 11-11,

1/2 p, 1 Graph.

Methods and Results

Methods
The methods I plan to use to answer my research question will be the survey and the experiment methods. I want to ask 50 women and 50 men a series of questions and see how they feel about communication between men and women. There will be a 2 part survey. One portion will have open-ended questions such as, do you give all your attention to your spouse when he/she is telling you something?, do you tell your spouse that you are not interested when he/she is telling you something?, How would you take constructive criticism at work if your boss was a man or woman? On the close-ended portion of the survey, I will ask questions like; do you have an open mind when someone is telling you something that you disagree with? Check Yes or No; can you discuss a matter by just coming out and stating it? Check Yes or No. In addition, I want to do a field study experiment using 5 different couples. I want to observe them in a natural setting and see how they communicate with each other. I want to view the men bringing up a conversation that interest them and see how the women reacts and vice versa.
Results:
For both of these methods, I anticipate the independent variable will have a strong effect. For the survey results, I believe there will 35% of men and 40% of women that will prove that there is a strong difference in communication when it comes to gender. The other 15% of men and 10% of women will think that gender does not affect communication. I think that the results of the survey will shed some light on a situation that people did not notice before, and the respondents will start communicating more effectively with the opposite sex. As far as the results for the experiment, I think that 4 out of 5 of the couples will notice a large difference in their communication with each other.

Introduction

The purpose of this proposal is to answer the research question: does gender affect communication? Do you ever wonder why your spouse answers a question the way he or she does, or why you are able to discuss certain topics with a female or male friend, but not your spouse? We all communicate every day. Being aware of communication differences can benefit you in your everyday life; from dealing with your spouse, child, to a co-worker. It can help you to understand that not all men and women think or talk alike. Situations may be handled differently all based upon one’s gender. The articles and books that I used are from experts in the field of communication between men and women. 2 of my books are from renowned author Deborah Tannen. Both books discuss the communication differences between men and women and one goes further to discuss how it affects relationships. You Just Don’t Understand: Men and Women in Conversation describes how intimacy and independence are a factor when men and women communicate. Women tend to lean more towards intimacy- connections and networking of family and friendships, whereas men to independence- means of establishing a role or purpose. Because one or the other is more important, it aids in fogging the lines of communication (Tannen, 1990). Things that are more important to us reflect in our communication with one another. Tannen (1986) in I Didn’t Mean That: How Conversational Styles Makes or Breaks a Relationship finds that changing your style of conversation may be all that you need to avoid that argument. When women understand how a man communicates and a man understands how a woman communicates, it helps them to get along better. Next, I researched a few scholarly journals to see if other experts viewed the situation in the same perspective as Tannen. In Language Convergence and Meaning Divergence: A Meaning Centered Communication Theory, Dougherty, Klatzke, Kramer, and Rogers believe that the interpretations of flirting and sexual gestures are viewed differently based upon gender. Their study results showed that more men find a variety of women’s gestures to be sexual and flirtatious (Dougherty, Klatzke, Kramer, & Rogers, 2009). The next article, Regulating Partners in Intimate Relationships: The Costs and Benefits of Different Communication Strategies, views communication from the standpoint of an intimate relationship. This article believes that a lot of downfalls in relationships are a result of negative communication (Fletcher, Overall, Sibley, & Simpson, 2009). The last article that I used as part of my research, “Women, men differe in comfort levels while talking,” did a survey and concluded that women are more comfortable talking to health professionals and men are more inclined to talk to co-workers. In addition the studies also show that both men and women equally like talking to children the least (“Women, men differe,” 2000).

Saturday, April 24, 2010

A Converstaion with God

Sometimes people may find it strange to try and have a conversation with someone that doesn't answer you back, or you can't see the expressions on their face when you are telling them something. I believe some human beings thrive off interaction from each other. Although you can not see or hear Him, God is there. He is omnipresent. I have found that there are times when I found it hard to talk to family or friends but I could easily have a conversation with God. I feel as if he listens to what I say, He doesn't butt across me or talk over me, and most of all, he doesn't judge me. He accepts me for who I am. There may be times when he doesn't agree with what I say or like the things I do, but in all the error, He loves me. Having a conversation with God is refreshing and it really does help. Everyone who is willing and open minded should give it a try. You may not feel a connection so it may not work for you, or you may find surprisingly, that it does, and it's one of the best things that you have ever done. Conversing with Him could lead to a great relationship with Him.

Effective Communication Between Men and Women

As I stated in an earlier blog, a psychologist explained to me that communication is different between men and women. Due to personal experience, I totally agree with her. I have been married going on 3 years and our communication skills still need to be honed. I believe between the two of us there's is a lot of miscommunication occurring. He states that I share so much with my friends and not with him, but what he fails to realize is that when I attempt to share things with him, he doesn't show the interest that my girlfriends do so I refrain from telling him . The psychologist said that the things that interest women may not and a lot of times don't interest men. With that being said, if you want me to share things with you, show an interest. I know you may not be crazy about it the way I am but at least act like you care. In the same token, I need to do the same. I don't always care when he talks about motorcycles or things about his car, but I definitely should open my mind and ears and listen to him, even if I don't enjoy the conversation. That's called compromise, and in a marriage that aids communication.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Christianity

For as long as people have roamed the earth, they have believed in a high being. Not everyone believes in Jesus Christ. There are some people that worship Buddha, greek gods, the sun, an internal being, etc. Chrisitianity has been around for a long time and have alot of followers. It started years ago when the Europeans migrated to America. It is widely received due to its longevity. America was founded upon christianity and alot of polices have been derived from it. Our money even reads "In God We Trust". Some may argue that the christian bible has been rewritten and there are many contradictions in this particular religion. In my opinion, this is due to a lack of faith and not believing. Critics of the religion also believe that mankind was derived from monkeys, mother nature is the cause of natural disasters, and science is the reasoning for all things that occur. Someone who would be for chrisitinaity would beg to differ. They would argue that man was created as a procreation of Adam and Eve(the first man and woman that God created), that the earthquakes, tsunamies, and things of that nature area a result of God being angry with those that are sinning. Whatever you believe in, it is something whether it is christianity, buddhism, hinduism, etc.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Paris, France

Paris has always played a major role in mass media. Just like the United States alot of production companies and independent films are made in Paris. Paris is also one of the major fashion capitals in the world! Famous designers, such as Yves St. Laurent, Coco Chanel, and Givenchy are natives of France. Alot of design ideas and inspirations come from Paris. Being one of the romance languages is a plus for Paris as well. Tourist love to travel to this exotic place to see what it's all about. I've taken about 5 years or more of French and dream of traveling there one day myself. From the fashions to the cuisine Paris is a great place. In addition to the films that are shot and produced here, plays such as Les Miserables is a product of France as well. Paris is also an allie of the United states. I believe as long as they have rivers such as the Louvre and the Effel Tower Paris will be one of the most productive and visited country in the world.