Now, it's not because men are too concerned with their ego to ask a woman for directions, it is because you would probably get two completely different sets of directions to the same place. Men generally give the most direct route with road names and approximate distances while women will give the easiest route and use land marks to indicate turns. You may be thinking that this is not such a big deal, but it is only one of many indicators that there is a vast difference between the ways men and women communicate. This page will present different aspects of Deborah Tannen's theories regarding the styles of communication and how they differ from men to women. Tannen points out that the major difference between the way men and women communicateis the purpose behind it.
Men communicate to show others their abilities and talents, or to gain respect.
Women find it more important to be liked by thier peers and therefore communicate to make others feel more comfortable around them. Because of these vast differences in communication styles, Tannen calls communication between men and women cross-cultural. This may seem like a strong word, but Tannen maintains its appropriateness. See the links below to learn more about the theory and what others have to say about it. A Mini-Workshop Addressing the Role of Language in Gender Issues Semiotics is a theory in communication that focuses on visual signs, the ways people interpret them and the different meanings assigned to them.