Offered during the Fall Semester
The course will be offered MWF 6th period.
Men and women have sought to understand each
other since the beginning of time. Sometimes it seems like a losing battle.
However, it is that "battle" metaphor that seems to over-emphasize gender
differences and ignore similarities. These differences, while interesting, don't
help to advance our culture or edify our lives. The goal of this course is to
bridge gaps in understanding between the sexes and to encourage a dialogue about
ways that we are similar and different.
This course will be receiver-oriented with an emphasis on personal effectivenss.
A receiver orientation helps you to take others' perspectives, to better
understand yourself, and to improve communication in your personal and
professional relationships. This course may be different from many you have
taken in college. This is primarily because you are actively and daily engaged
in the subject matter of this gender communication course. You have already had
much experience, and you will likely want to share those experiences with the
rest of the class. This will be encouraged. In addition, you may also bring to
this class some preconceived expectations of this class. Given that, here is
what you can expect from this class:
1. As a student, you can expect to increase the range of options available to
you in gender communication. In the personal effectiveness approach, this is
referred to as the development of the communication repertoire. The more options
you have, the more likely you are to make effective choices.
2. You can also expect to increase your ability to analyze communication
situations. Enhanced personal effectiveness is dcependent upon understanding
situations and what is needed for successful interaction in those situaitons.
3. As odd as it may sound, you can also expect to be able to make more reasoned
and reasonable choices regarding gender communication.
4. Last, in addition to learning new information, you can expect to acquire new
and/or improved communication skills.
The course will be part lecture, part class discussion format. There will be no
exams. There will be a major research analysis paper. Finally you'll do a poster
presentation based on your research paper.
Please feel free to email the course instructor with any questions: dnagy@ufl.edu