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Differences Between Women And Men Regarding Social Behaviors

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(@flatlander48)
Noble Member     United States of America, California, Cathedral City
Joined: 5 years ago

https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Sociology/Introduction_to_Sociology/Sociology_(Boundless)/11%3A_Gender_Stratification_and_Inequality/11.02%3A_Gender_and_Socialization/11.2H%3A_Gender_Differences_in_Social_Interaction

It is clear that in social settings the behaviors of women and men are quite different. But, since the vast majority of us are not sociologists or psychologists, what are some of those behavioral differences? An excerpt from the above link:

Gender Differences in Social Interaction

Masculine and feminine cultures and individuals generally differ in how they communicate with others. For example, feminine people tend to self-disclose more often than masculine people, and in more intimate details. Likewise, feminine people tend to communicate more affection, and with greater intimacy and confidence than masculine people. Generally speaking, feminine people communicate more and prioritize communication more than masculine people.

Traditionally, masculine people and feminine people communicate with people of their own gender in different ways. Masculine people form friendships with other masculine people based on common interests, while feminine people build friendships with other feminine people based on mutual support. However, both genders initiate opposite-gender friendships based on the same factors. These factors include proximity, acceptance, effort, communication, common interests, affection and novelty.

Context is very important when determining how we communicate with others. It is important to understand what script it is appropriate to use in each respective relationship. Specifically, understanding how affection is communicated in a given context is extremely important. For example, masculine people expect competition in their friendships.They avoid communicating weakness and vulnerability. They avoid communicating personal and emotional concerns. Masculine people tend to communicate affection by including their friends in activities and exchanging favors. Masculine people tend to communicate with each other shoulder-to-shoulder (e.g., watching sports on a television).

In contrast, feminine people are more likely to communicate weakness and vulnerability. In fact, they may seek out friendships more in these times. For this reason, feminine people often feel closer to their friends than masculine people do. Feminine people tend to value their friends for listening and communicating non-critically, communicating support, communicating feelings of enhanced self-esteem, communicating validation, offering comfort and contributing to personal growth. Feminine people tend to communicate with each other face-to-face (e.g., meeting together to talk over lunch).

Hopefully this excerpt will lead folks towards reading the entire article. However, know that this is not always accurate, 100% true information. Masculine women and feminine men exist even though they do not identify as transgender. What we are talking about here are general tendencies.

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(@michellelarsen1)
Noble Member     United States of America, Virginia, Front Royal
Joined: 5 years ago

I love this DeeAnn. I have come to the conclusion that one can never have too much information. Even if it is not needed today, it is nice to know where it can be found. And there is nothing wrong with generalizations. We all do it; we have to. If we didn't, we could never communicate with each other. The more we know, and understand, and embrace the things that make us all a little different from each other, maybe the better we would all get along. Hugs

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(@reallylauren)
Reputable Member     Canada, British Columbia, Victoria
Joined: 3 years ago

Hi Michelle and DeeAnn,

I have had a lot of interesting and very rewarding times experiencing the differences between typical masculine social behavior and the social behavior of women.

I am an intersex female but was raised as boy, my mother knew my true nature but I was surrounded by males, brothers, uncles, grandfathers and cousins, so I was horrified that they would sense my innate feminine nature.

I grew up drawn to all things feminine and resented being forced to participate in, what I can only call, male roughhousing. I was often called out on how I was different, much of this due to actual physical differences because I was intersex. I was teased and bullied and had to endure constant catcalls like, "You run like a girl" "Throw a ball like a girl" "Sit like a girl" "Talk like a girl" I was never physically aggressive or good at sports, and puberty was didn't make it any easier as my feminine physical attributes became another source of teasing and bullying. I know now that, being intersex, I was born with a female brain and have always thought like a girl.

All through this time my true friends were girls. There was, and still is to this day, a natural connection that I have with women. I can cry with them, laugh with them, share my heart with them, we hug and embrace each other, and can sense when one of us needs special attention. There are so many differences and I have personally experienced and witnessed most of them, that I can tell you that I am delighted that I am so feminine and able to live my life as the woman I actually am!

Hugs,

Ms. Lauren M

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(@firefly)
Estimable Member     Panama, Panama, Panama
Joined: 3 years ago

Thanks for sharing this information, DeeAnn.Michelle and Lauren too. 

Gisela

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(@flatlander48)
Noble Member     United States of America, California, Cathedral City
Joined: 5 years ago

In a previous I discussed the topic:

What Is Social Transition?

Whether we are physically transitioning or have no plans beyond appearance, pronoun changes, name changes, etc. we all have to deal with, and understand, how to fit into the world from a female perspective. We may dress well and have mastered makeup skills but if we exhibit male-oriented behaviors, it can draw undue attention to our gender identity. The hard work that we put into presentation can be easily undone. The converse is also true for trans men.

I suspect, without hard data, that many feel that the process is over with the Physical Transition. However, I think that is more of a starting point and a topic that will require continuous work and tuning. Hopefully it will become second nature, but for many of us, we are working against decades of learned masculine behaviors.

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(@flatlander48)
Noble Member     United States of America, California, Cathedral City
Joined: 5 years ago

Going back in time and on a different trans forum, someone said that they have always known that they should have been born female. Effectively she was saying that she has always functioned from a female perspective. However, think about this. We have all spent decades being surrounded by a male oriented world and we did whatever we could to make peace with it, avoid it or tried to act in agreement with that structure (even though we may have vehemently disagreed with it!). So, I doubt that we can claim no knowledge of the male oriented world.

Further, the flip side is true for trans men.

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