(no subject)
Topic 2: Gender
On Wednesday, January 23, 2008 4:15 am, Dr. Georg Vollweiler wrote...
Do you interact with men and women differently? If yes, how so? Do you think people interact with you differently because of your gender? Why or why not?
On Monday, January 28, 2008 10:17 pm, Mandy Buck replied...
I would like to believe that I interact with people essentially the same regardless of their gender, but I recognize that there are some situations where this is not the case. In general, I tend to accommodate peoples' personalities in order to find a balance where we are both at the same comfort level.
At work, I cannot escape the well-engrained Southern, Good Ol' Boy gender roles. Women are primarily hired into support roles for men. This isn't to say that they are blatantly sexist; people are respectful of one another. Most likely this is just due to social tradition.
I would say that I am more likely to communicate with men and women in a similar (if not equal) manner once my exchanges with a person progress past the first superficial stages. I take the opportunity when first meeting people to test reactions, feel out, and judge the comfort level of the situation. In these initial, sometimes wary meetings with others, I am often unsure whether the other person is engaged or receptive to my cues.
I like to be aware of the other person's intentions when engaging in conversation. Since I am more likely to assume that a man might be attracted to me sexually, I look for cues to indicate whether this is the case. If the conversation is a meaningful one, I prefer there to be no ulterior motive. In my personal experience, men seem to be a little more upfront with their motives. Sometimes motives are expressed verbally and, most times, the more fundamental, innate styles of communication are being utilized. I think that we all give off subtle cues that indicate whether we see a person as a potential mate (perhaps through pheromones, or a tiny smirk, or flip of the hair). I would say that I am more likely to perceive and send these signals with men, rendering my interactions with men very different.
I do not assume women are looking at me in a sexual way (unless obvious). My experience with women is that they tend to be less open with their judgments or observations of people they're interacting with, and I usually reciprocate. Again, this is accommodating their persona, but this does not always apply. Women seem to interact with me differently overall, but once I am comfortable with them, these gender-based interactions tend to dissipate.
On Wednesday, January 23, 2008 4:15 am, Dr. Georg Vollweiler wrote...
Do you interact with men and women differently? If yes, how so? Do you think people interact with you differently because of your gender? Why or why not?
On Monday, January 28, 2008 10:17 pm, Mandy Buck replied...
I would like to believe that I interact with people essentially the same regardless of their gender, but I recognize that there are some situations where this is not the case. In general, I tend to accommodate peoples' personalities in order to find a balance where we are both at the same comfort level.
At work, I cannot escape the well-engrained Southern, Good Ol' Boy gender roles. Women are primarily hired into support roles for men. This isn't to say that they are blatantly sexist; people are respectful of one another. Most likely this is just due to social tradition.
I would say that I am more likely to communicate with men and women in a similar (if not equal) manner once my exchanges with a person progress past the first superficial stages. I take the opportunity when first meeting people to test reactions, feel out, and judge the comfort level of the situation. In these initial, sometimes wary meetings with others, I am often unsure whether the other person is engaged or receptive to my cues.
I like to be aware of the other person's intentions when engaging in conversation. Since I am more likely to assume that a man might be attracted to me sexually, I look for cues to indicate whether this is the case. If the conversation is a meaningful one, I prefer there to be no ulterior motive. In my personal experience, men seem to be a little more upfront with their motives. Sometimes motives are expressed verbally and, most times, the more fundamental, innate styles of communication are being utilized. I think that we all give off subtle cues that indicate whether we see a person as a potential mate (perhaps through pheromones, or a tiny smirk, or flip of the hair). I would say that I am more likely to perceive and send these signals with men, rendering my interactions with men very different.
I do not assume women are looking at me in a sexual way (unless obvious). My experience with women is that they tend to be less open with their judgments or observations of people they're interacting with, and I usually reciprocate. Again, this is accommodating their persona, but this does not always apply. Women seem to interact with me differently overall, but once I am comfortable with them, these gender-based interactions tend to dissipate.