Men and women typically use different discourse strategies in communication, and, in general, women's linguistic behavior is disadvantageous compared to men's. This paper will attempt to demonstrate this fact, through the many stereotypes observed in Western society, which influence our perceptions, and may lead to actual gender differences. Despite these assumptions, it has been proven through countless studies, beginning in the 1970's, that men and women differ in their communicative competency, and their discourse strategies in terms of conversational interactions. Some of the major differences include vocabulary, swearing, self-disclosure, intimacy issues, questions, nonverbal behavior, verbal fillers, and workplace attitudes.

The definition of gender is "the learned behaviors a culture associates with being male or female (Pearson, 1991:8)." Communication is "when two people interact, and, intentionally, or unintentionally, negotiate the meaning of any phenomenon (Pearson, 1991:9)."

Men and women are taught, through childhood caregivers, to excel in different areas, with social awards to keep these goals desirable. Females are traine

Schwartz, Pepper, and Rutter, Virginia

There are several explanations as to why men and women communicate differently. One of the most common answers is the notion that men dominate our culture. Women are in a stage of constant uncertainty and insecurity when dealing with men, even though they comprise 52% of the current population (Spender, 1980:36). The English language relegates women to an inferior status in society. This is seen as a consequence of their politeness and indirectness. Men seem to have more control over the direction of conversations. Women are more likely to seek male approval, and to take on characteristics common of men, when involved in mixed sex conversations (Pearson, et al, 1991:54).

(i.e. final /-z/ sound from verbs in contexts where it indicates third person singular; "She goes" becomes "She go") (Smith, 1985:80).

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2704
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)