Differences in how Men and Women Speak
Over the decades, linguists have been trying to decipher the narrative that when it comes to speech, men and women have exhibit differences. However, there has been interesting on how stereotypes have shaped the way the society approach the issue of gender differences in the society. The difference in the speech of men and women can be understood as a social construction and cultural presupposition which attempts to draw the line of differences between men and women. It reflects how the society wants the gender context in the community, be approached and understood (Valentova, 2015). The differences in which are exhibited by men and women are because of how they are brought up and socialized during their upbringing.
The differences in the speech of men and women indicate on how men and women are socialized. This socialization makes boys grow up with a deep husky voice which would be understood as commanding and authoritative. According to Rijken & Liefbroer, (2016) they are socialized to speak in antagonistic louder voices which is to enable them to take masculine tendencies in their career choices. Girls, on the other hand, are socialized to have submissive and quitter speeches to enable them to bond with others in the society well. They are socialized to use submissiveness in their speeches to counter the aggressiveness which is exhibited by men.
These differences are not innate in men and women; rather they are a manifestation of how they are socialized when growing up. This is a mechanism in the society which attempts to bring social differences regarding gender in the society. Valentova, (2015) argues that if women were to be socialized to behave like men, they would be capable of it, and if men were to be socialized as women, they would exhibit feminine personalities. Therefore, to conclude, the differences between how men and women speak is a product of how they are socialized when they are growing up, and it has no relations to their innate abilities.
References
Rijken, A., & Liefbroer, A. (2016). Differences in Family Norms for Men and Women Across Europe. Journal Of Marriage And Family, 78(4), 1097-1113. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12310
Valentova, M. (2015). How Do Traditional Gender Roles Relate to Social Cohesion? Focus on Differences Between Women and Men. Social Indicators Research, 127(1), 153-178. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11205-015-0961-2
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