Problem:
Respond to the discussion board post below make sure to be engaging and optomistic and relatable
I define friendship as a bond between one person and another regardless of gender, where there is trust, communication, and patience regardless of the situation they are in. For me friendship is built on mutual respect and non judgmental tendencies. Need Assignment Help?
I do believe men and women's friendships differ from one another but not as much as we have seen in the past. I believe that in the past men were programmed to be strong and tough so emotional communication did not occur much whereas with women they were taught that being open and vulnerable is a necessity so emotional communication occurs more. In current friendships for men I believe emotional maturity is something that men now value so they will communicate feelings with one another but only because intense situations occur. Whereas for women we value emotional maturity and communication for every aspect of life regardless of whether it's small or big. Additionally in women's friendships they are often supportive of each other's goals and aspirations in life. Whereas for men although their friends are supportive it will just be a "You got this!" one time then it won't be spoken of again. Overall I think women's friendships are more intentional with the way they communicate because that is the way our society programmed us to be.
I do consider my friendships to be different based on gender and it's not always intentional either. I believe that the way I grew up there were just certain ways you behaved around different gendered people so I have carried that on as I have gotten older.
When I am with my male friends I often behave in a more quiet manner and limit being overly expressive in situations so it doesn't come across as me flirting or trying to act like "one of the boys". Additionally with male friends I don't overuse physical contact and stick to a simple side hug or even a wave. Whereas with my friends who are female or nonbinary I feel like I can act like myself and show physical affection such as hugs or holding hands.
When I am with male friends my communication style also changes. I often stick to conversation surrounding shared interests/ hobbies that we both enjoy instead of bringing up emotional and serious conversations. Additionally I am a short tester with my male friends and keep my replies simple and direct instead of sending long messages as I do with my female and non binary friends. I believe I adapt to these differences naturally and don't have to think about it. These are just changes I notice when I look back on conversations.
I think that doing gender, specifically the accountability concept, best explains my experiences. This is because this theory focuses on how gender is something we actively perform during social interactions and that our behavior as a whole is shaped by the way others interpret our information and respond(Ryle,2023). Essentially we try to make our actions seem as accountable as possible for situations based on if the person is masculine or feminine. This directly relates to my personal experiences because I change my behaviors depending on the gender of my friends and in a way that would be seen as socially acceptable. For example, around my male friends I get quiet and limit physical affection whereas with my female or nonbinary friends I am able to express emotions more openly. Both of these examples are seen as accountable as gendered behavior but in different ways.