跨文化交际 性别差异

Gender differences in intercultural communication

摘要：跨性别交际是跨文化交际的一种形式。在男性与女性交际的过程中，尤其是在口头交际的过程中，他们在语言的使用上存在着许多方面的差异。这些语言差异源于男性与女性不同的心理特征、性别角色、社会分工、社会偏见、以及权势和支配欲。性别差异不仅是生物学上的差异，而主要是一种文化构建。这些差异必定会给两性之间交际带来困难，甚至是交际失误。因此，只有了解不同性别的交际规则，培养性别文化差异意识，才能避免由性别差异而导致的交际失误，成为成功的跨文化交际者。

关键词：跨性别交际差异原因建议

PART I: Differences between men and women in communication

Nowadays, it is necessary for men and women to communicate with each other every day. But their different communicative styles often bring about doubts, misunderstandings, even conflicts in their communication, especially in intercultural communication. The differences always lie in the following aspects:

1) Different vocabularies:

Women tend to use milder expletives, such as “Darn it!”; while men are m ore likely use vulgar words, such as “Damn” “Shit” to curse others.

Women tend to use milder exclamations, such as “Oh, dear!” “Goddess”; while men are more likely to use “God!” “My god!”.

Women often use some empty extravagant adjectives and hyperboles to express emotions instead of offering information, such as adorable, charming, cute, and lovely. It would be funny for men to say these words.

Women are more likely to use euphemism. If men use “hell”, women often say “the other place”.

2) Different sentences:

Men and women often choose different sentences. Men tend to use declarative sentences and imperative sentences. They express their own opinions directly to require or demand something; while women often use interrogative questions, milder imperative sentences to express their opinions indirectly.

Women are often more likely to use compound requests. For example “If you don’t have anything better to do, why don’t you clean your room?” Women are more likely to use this type of statement because they are socialized to be polite. Men tend to use more powerful language forms that get attention or make them seem to be more knowledgeable and capable. For instance, they are more likely to make statements what they believe, such as “This is the best pizza in this town.”

3) Different styles:

3.1. Establishing equal relationship:

If one woman says to another woman: “My bike was stolen yesterday”, the listener would reply the same experience she has had and complain the bad luck. These words can eliminate the feeling of solitude of the speaker, which can create an interactive speech pattern. If men come across this situation, men would tell women they should call the police first. Men just want to offer a solution for women in trouble.

3.2. Support and sympathy: