281 ◆ 14 ◆ GENDER EQUITY IN COMMUNICATION SKILL

Teaching and learning are primarily communication processes that rely on interactions of students and teachers. Any factor that inhibits effective communication in the teaching and learning process therefore adversely affects the learning process; if communication is restricted or gender biased, then learning will be different for girls and boys. Because of the foundational role of communication in all learning, this chapter focuses primarily on teaching/learning of the basic skills of listening, reading, speaking, and writing. We attend to communication as a primary subject matter only briefly.1 Previous research has demonstrated gender bias in language and in its use (Borisoff & Merrill, 1998; Cameron, 1990, 1998; Eckert & McConnell-Ginet, 2003; Hellinger & Bussman, 2001; Hill, 1986; Holborow, 1999; Lakoff, 1990; McConnell-Ginet, 1975; Miller & Swift, 1991, 1976; Penelope, 1990; Schulz, 1990; Spender, 1985, among many others). Other research has shown extensive sex segregation in occupations and significant associated salary differentials (Freeman, 2004; Costello & Krimgold, 1996; Costello & Stone, 2001; Costello, Wight & Stone, 2003 as well as the material in the chapters in this book “Impact of Education on Gender Equity in Employment and Its Outcomes” and “Gender Equity in Career and Technical Education”). A primary concern in this chapter is to explore whether inequities or omissions in education affect persistence of these patterns of inequities, and more specifically to what extent students’ achievement of the varied communication skills reinforce these cultural patterns. Where inequities or omissions in communication education exist, we need to identify them in order to remedy some of the forces perpetuating societal patterns. First, we discuss matters of definition. Next, we examine extant data to learn where differences in skills and competence in communication exist between girls and boys—and, when relevant, women and men—as groups. We then explore the extent to which these differences relate to educational practices and structures, thus examining the processes of teaching and assessing communicating skills in diverse populations. We look briefly at communication in social patterns and structure using the status of women in journalism/ communication education as illustrative of one factor in media literacy learning. Finally, we make recommendations for achieving equity in the materials and methods used in teaching communication skills. Overall, this chapter raises more questions than it provides answers. Readers seeking definitive information or claims about how education “shortchanges” girls/women or boys/men will be dissatisfied. The scholarship reviewed shows that previous study of equity in communication education has only partially covered communication skills and assessed only in part achievement of those skills that have been measured. We argue that previous researchers and commentators have too quickly generalized about differences between girls and boys (or women and men) as population groups and have inadequately disaggregated data to study within-population differences. The primary contribution of the chapter is to show where more study is needed, what new assessment efforts are required, and where more careful analysis should preclude facile generalizations. We conclude with recommendations for policy and other changes needed to facilitate these changes.