COMM 237 Communication and Gender

1. Apply current theories of gender development to a specific context. 
2. Examine the historical bases and evolution of women’s and men’s movements. 
3. Identify the fundamental differences in the conversational styles and nonverbal communication patterns of men and women in intimate and organizational settings. 
4. Describe key strategies for improving communication in intimate and work-related relationships. 
5. Identify and analyze how culturally-based assumptions regarding gender influence perceptions, behaviors, gender stereotypes, and policies. 
6. Analyze how social institutions such as the media, educational institutions, and work contexts perpetuate systems of privilege and discrimination. 

Statewide General Education Outcomes:

1. Engage in ethical communication processes that accomplish goals. 
2. Respond to the needs of diverse audiences and contexts. 
3. Build and manage relationships. 

Cultural Literacy Outcome:

1. Identify and analyze complex practices, values, and beliefs and the culturally and historically defined meanings of difference. 

• Understanding Gender 
  • Communication, gender, and culture as an area of study 
  • The meaning of gender in a transitional era 
  • Relationships among gender, culture, and communication 
• Theoretical Approaches to Gender Development 
  • Biological influences on gender 
  • Interpersonal influences on gender 
  • Cultural influences on gender 
• The Rhetorical Shaping of Gender 
  • The first wave of women’s movements in the U.S. 
  • The second wave of women’s movement in the U.S. 
  • The third wave of women’s movements in the U.S. 
  • Men’s movements 
• Gendered Verbal and Nonverbal Communication 
  • Gendered interaction: masculine and feminine styles of verbal communication 
  • Gendered nonverbal communication 
  • Functions of nonverbal communication 
  • Forms of nonverbal communication 
  • Implications of gendered nonverbal communication 
• Becoming Gendered: 
  • Early years 
  • Gendered education 
  • Gendered close relationships 
  • Gendered organizational communication 
• Gendered Media: The Media’s Influence on Gender 
  • Media saturation of cultural life 
  • Media Influences 
  • Implications of gendered media 
• Gendered Power and Violence 
  • The social construction of gendered violence 
  • The many faces of gendered violence 
  • Social foundations of gendered violence 
  • Resisting gendered violence: where do we go from here?