CONTENTS
Preface
PROLOGUE
The Impact of Social Movements on Gender Communication:
You Must Know Where You’ve Been to Know Where You’re Going
Learning “Herstory”
Men, Education, and Women—in That Order
The First Wave of Feminism
Enter “Rosie the Riveter”
The Civil Rights Movement
The Sexual Revolution
The Second Wave of Feminism
No Such Thing as “THE” Feminists
The Third Wave of Feminism
What About “His Story”?
Early Male Supporters of Women’s Rights
Effects of the Sexual Revolution on Men
Men Raised Consciousness Too
Fathers’ Movements
There Are Some “Wild Men” Out There
The Million Man March
Keeping Those Promises
Gender Communication: Looking Forward
References
PART I: COMMUNICATION, GENDER, AND EFFECTIVENESS
CHAPTER 1
Talking the Talk and Walking the Walk: Becoming a Better
Gender Communicator
Hot Topics
What Is Gender Communication?
Why Study Gender Communication?
Gender Jargon
Is It Sex or Is It Gender?
Gender Identity, Androgyny, and Sexual Orientation
Feminism (“The “F-Word”) and Se ism
Communication: A Complex Human Process
Becoming Receiver Oriented in Your Communication
The Personal Effectiveness Approach to Gender Communication
Personal Effectiveness: Your Own Perception
Personal Effectiveness: Others’ Perceptions
Values to Guide Your Choices
Value 1: Equalizing Power
Value 2: Talking to Make It Better
Value 3: Believing in Freedom of Choice
Value 4: Being Open-Minded and Willing to Change
Value 5: Treating Another Person as an Individual
Conclusion
Discussion Starters
References
PART II: INFLUENCES ON OUR CHOICES
CHAPTER 2
Becoming a Woman, Becoming a Man, and Becoming a Person:
Biological, Social, and Cultural Influences on Gender Identity
Development
Hot Topics
Case Study: Am I Masculine? Am I Feminine? What’s That
Mean, Anyway?
How You Develop Your Identity
Fundamentals of Identity
Identity Development and Communication
Masculine and Feminine Identity Revisited
The Effects of Social Interpretations of Biological Sex on Identity
“Innies” and “Outies”: Anatomical Differences and Social
Interpretations
Social Interpretations of “Raging” Hormones
Mind over Matter: Are Men’s and Women’s Brains Really
Different?
The Effects of Social Influences on Psychological Gender Identity
Learning to Be Girls and Boys
Socialization and Gender Identity Development
The Family as a Primary Socializing Agent
Secondary Agents of Socialization
Gender and Culture
Culture Considered
Is One Culture Better Than Another?
When Aspects of Identity Intersect
Intercultural Gender Communication
Conclusion
Discussion Starters
References
CHAPTER 3
Pictures, Porn, and Pop: Gender and Media
Hot Topics
Case Study: A Day in Two Lives: Rey and His Dad
The Power of Mediated Communication: Effects on Our Lives
A Bombardment of Media
Approaches to Studying the Effects of Media Consumption
Advertising: Selling a Product or Selling Se ism?
Babes in Bras: Female Depiction in Advertising
Studs in Suits: Male Depiction in Advertising
Lessons from the Small Screen: Television and Gender
Television: Mirroring Reality or Creating It?
Men in Prime-time Television
Women in Prime-time Television
TV and GLBT
Lessons from the Big Screen: Film and Gender
Gender in the Movies
The Communicative Power of Pornography
Multiple Definitions of Pornography: The Beginnings of
Controversy
Types of Readily Accessible Pornography
Multiple Camps for a Complex Issue
The Cru of the Matter: Pornography is Personal
We Could Make Beautiful Music Together...
From Pop to Rock to Rap to Hip-Hop to Country: The Women
and Men of Song Lyrics
Sex Kittens and He-Men in Music Videos
Sex, Gender, and New Media
Online Identity and Gender
Gendered Gaming
Conclusion
Discussion Starters
References
PART III: LET’S TALK: INITIATING AND DEVELOPING
RELATIONSHIPS
CHAPTER 4
Choosing and Using Gendered Language
Hot Topics
Case Study: Go Team!
Choosing Your Language