Sex and Gender Differences in Personal Relationships

by Canary, Daniel J.; Emmers-Sommer, Tara M.; Faulkner, Sandra L.

• ISBN13: 9781572303225
• ISBN10: 1572303220
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-10-16
• Publisher: The Guilford Press

Summary

Challenging the commonly held assumption that men and women hail from different psychological and social "planets," this illuminating work reexamines what the empirical research really shows about how the sexes communicate in close relationships. The volume demonstrates that stereotypical beliefs about men and women fail to predict their actual interaction behavior, and highlights evidence of similarities--as well as differences--between the two groups. Setting forth an integrative theory of gender differences, the authors propose that communication behavior is the means by which sex and gender role expectations are created and sustained.

Author Biography

Daniel J. Canary, PhD, is Professor of Speech Communication at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park campus. Dr. Canary has written several books, book chapters, and journal articles on interpersonal communication and relationships.

Tara M. Emmers-Sommer, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Communication at the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Emmers-Sommer's research focuses on relational development and de-escalation; her interests also include the portrayal of women in the media.

Sandra Faulkner is a PhD candidate in the Department of Speech Communication at The Pennsylvania State University. Her research interests include topics related to women's health, such as safe sex talk and practices, and she teaches in the women's studies program at Penn State.

Table of Contents

Preface

Moving beyond Stereotypes

Sex, Gender, and Emotion

Communicating Intimacy

Communicating Control

Division of Household Labor

Toward an Activity-Based View of Gender

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.