Gendered language often affects mixed-
Cultural factors deeply affect our thinking and perception of gender roles, which are often inscribed with “different languages” for the masculine and the feminine (Gudykunst & Ting-
Women primarily see conversations as negotiations for closeness and connection with others, whereas men experience talk more as a struggle for control, independence, and hierarchy (Tannen, 1992). But either may use powerful, controlling language to define limits, authority, and relationships and less controlling language to express affection. Let’s look at a few examples.
In summary, research has corroborated some differences in communication style due to sex (Kiesling, 1998), but many of those differences pale when we consider gender (the cultural meaning of sex), context, role, and task (Ewald, 2010; Mulac, Wiemann, Widenmann, & Gibson, 1988; Newman, Groom, Handelman, & Pennebaker, 2008). Relatedly, studying language from a sex-