Gender differences are also reflect

Gender differences are also reflected in the ways that men and women use language. In junior high school, Joy’s status will depend on her circle of friends. If her friends are popular, then Joy may enjoy high status at schools. For this reason, Joy and many other girls are interested in gossip, talking about other people and their private lives. If Joy has some information to share about a popular girl at school, this proves that she has a friendship with this girl. In this way Joy can use gossip to gain more status in her school. Tommy, on the other hand, may be less interested in gossip. His status doesn’t depend on who his friends are at school. Tommy gains status through his own ability to play sports well or earn high grades. Later in life, Joy may continue to be interested in talking about other people and their lives. Tommy will be less interested in personal talk and more concerned with discussions of sports and news. These give him a chance to gain status by showing others his knowledge. Different ways of speaking are part of gender. As adults, men and women sometimes face difficulties in their communication with each other. Studies of communication show that if a woman tells her husband about a problem, she will expect him to listen and offer sympathy. She may be annoyed when he simply tells her how to solve the problem. Similarly, a husband may be annoyed when his wife wants to stop and ask a stranger for directions to a park or restaurant. Unlike his wife, he would rather use a map and find his way by himself. Language is also part of the different ways that men and women think about friendship. Most men believe that friendship means doing things together such as camping or playing tennis. Women, on the other hand, usually identify their best friend as someone with whom they talk frequently. Moreover, they often use tag questions to get agreement from their friends. If men and women can understand their differences, they may be able to improve their relationships.