Cultural Differences, Essay Example

Gender Roles

I have observed both subtle and more blatant communication differences between men and women within the United States military. While gender difference encompasses a vast array of cultural influences which translate into workplace behaviors, I find that the ways in which women and men express themselves vary in distinct ways.

In more casual communicating, the women in the workplace tend to be more forthcoming, particularly with one another. They volunteer information all the time, and often of a personal nature. The men are far more reserved, even when the women clearly invite a mutual sharing of information. Then, men seem to give instructions in a more abbreviated and direct way. The women in supervisory positions sometimes go into unnecessary detail when issuing orders. “This indirectness is, in part, a result of socialization in which women are taught not to be ‘bossy’…” (Collins, O’Rourke, 2008, p. 31).

Self-Disclosure

A strong variation culturally is evident to me in terms of self-disclosure as practiced by those in the workplace either not born in the United States or raised by immigrant parents, and in particular those from non-European backgrounds. There is virtually little no self-disclosure made at all, even in the most social and casual settings at work.

It seems that this reluctance to “open up” would naturally stem from the wariness being new to a place would generate, no matter the particular social or political atmosphere of that place. “For many people, it is a completely foreign concept to tell those outside their family anything personal” (Kottler, Englar-Carlson, 2009, p.132). Those of us in the workplace not of immigrant status or family are typically much more verbal and expressive, I find. Americans with several generations behind them in this country have a subsequent sense of entitlement, I believe, and far less reticence in expressing opinions and/or sharing feelings and impressions.

References

Collins, S.D., and O’Rourke, J.S. (2008.) Interpersonal Communication: Listening and Responding. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.

Kottler, J. A., and Englar-Carlson, M. (2009.) Learning Group Leadership: An Experiential Approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.