I think one of the topics that could use further discussion not only in this class but with the world, is misunderstanding between gender speech communities.
I think more understanding within this topic could possibly create less conflict within female and male relationships. One of the biggest issues men and women have with communication is when they discuss problems. When a women tells a man about something that is bothering her, he offers advice or tries to find a solution. Personally, what I need when I am telling my fiance about something that is bothering me is support in an emotional way, I mostly just want him to comfort me and be there for me in that way. A man believes that he is showing support by doing something to help your problem instead of focusing on the emotional aspect it is causing. When he responds this way, women view it as insensitive and not caring about her situation. On the opposite end, a man may feel frustrated when a women tries to show support through empathy instead of trying to fix his problem. We reflect onto others what we feel we need in hard times, instead of trying to really understand what they need and acting on it.
I think you are right on with gender communication being a concept that could always use further discussion. This is something that I am sure many people would benefit from. You mentioned an example of how your fiance looks to problem solve when you mention something is bothering you, and you would prefer emotional support. The interesting part about the way we approach our interpersonal communication is that we are not often aware that we are doing/saying the wrong thing, so to speak. So by us gaining a better understanding of why we communicate differently, relationships may benefit from learning more about this. I have a friend who had a similar situation with someone she was dating. Each time she would tell him about something that she was really upset by at work he would reply with something about how she should try to talk to her co-worker, etc, but in all reality she just wanted to hear something like "That's not right that he/she did that to you". Sometimes it's nice just to hear that your partner has empathy for something that happened to you. Great post.
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