Different people
may react differently to different situations. Verbal or nonverbal interactions
amongst people can be attributed to culture, gender or age difference.
Thus, every single person would definitely have different ways of interaction
if you were to observe them closely. If we were to compare the males and
females, we can observe differences between them in terms of verbal and
nonverbal communication.
During lunch last Friday, i overhead one of the
conversations that took place between two teenage Caucasian girls. Just a few tables away from them, I noticed two
other teenage Malay guys who were wearing collared shirts, having their own
conversation as well. As I was seated quite close to the two groups, I could
actually listen to both of the conversations that were going on between the two
groups.
When the girls
talked, they seemed to be using a lot of eye contacts when talking to each
other. They were focused on the conversation as they were constantly looking at
each other while waving their arms around explaining details of what was being
shared. The guys however, seemed to be in a relaxed manner and uses less
eye contact as they were constantly checking their phones throughout while
conversing. Based on these two groups, their interactions can be based on gender
and culture differences.
Culture plays a
role in communication. As what was seen, the guys were constantly using their
phones while conversing. This may seem rude to other cultures but not in
Singapore. In Singapore, this is a normal trend where people may be using their
phones while conversing. The girls however were not using their phones while
conversing. Based on the two groups, culture differences plays a role in how we
communicate.
Gender differences
also plays a role in communication. As what was mentioned, the girls seemed to
be well connected to each other based on their verbal and nonverbal interactions.
The girls seemed to be chatty while the guys are not as they were constantly
checking their phones and this illustrates their nonverbal interaction that
both may not be interested in the conversation. Based on these two groups, I feel
that gender affects how people interact with each other.
To sum it up, I believe
that gender and culture differences plays a role in how we communicate with
each other. What are your thoughts on this?
