Code Switching: Balancing Masculine and Feminine Styles - Audrey Nelson PhD

Does it ever seem that men are speaking in code and you're on the outside? Do they shut you down or ignore you when you speak? Perhaps you're speaking in code, too—a different code. Men and women DO have unique communication styles that don't always mesh well. Code Switching offers a way of "reaching across the aisle" to open the lines of communication. It helps both women and men crack the gender code and speak in common terms, so work gets done, conflict gets resolved, and mutual understanding and respect prevail ... in the workplace and beyond. The term "code switching" refers to having knowledge of both the male and female cultures or languages and readily swapping between them as you communicate. Code switching: The ability to use your knowledge of two or more cultures or languages and switch between them, depending on the situation, in order to best communicate your message. • Androgyny and gender flexing • Why are code switchers more successful communicators? • Why do CS have a high self esteem? • Who finds it easier, men or women, to be androgynous-a code switcher?