Paper Summary:

This paper explores how body language influences workplace communication and workplace relationships based on that communication. The focus is primarily on men's body language, and how it includes or excludes women in the workplace, by making them feel comfortable and accepted, or vice versa. The author also examines men's non-verbal communication styles in formal one-on-one meetings, group settings, and informal one-on-one meetings to illustrate this case. The paper further analyzes these three types of common workplace interaction, and suggests how men can change their actions so that women feel more comfortable and included at work.

From the Paper:

"Many feminist authors profess the need for an "ethic of care," such as Joan C. Tronto, who says there are two types of caring: caring about and caring for (Pearsall, 393-395). Men, when portraying the typical business facade, are caring about what is being said, how the other people in the room perceive them, and what they themselves are contributing to the situation. However, what women typically do is care for others in the situation, and men are typically oblivious or unresponsive to this unique feminine motivation. If men become aware of this method of caring for others, and respond to this type of feminine social interaction, women will feel less threatened and excluded in workplace interactions, especially those one-on-one meetings with the manager, or boss, because women will feel they can relate to men who understand this mindset of caring for others, instead of caring about objectives and business."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Winning the Body Language Game. http://www.collegegrad.com/book/15-8.shtml. Accessed 17 April 2006.
• Krupnick, Catherine. "Women and Men in the Classroom: inequality and its remedies". Reprinted from On Teaching and Learning, volume 1. 1985. http://bokcenter.harvard.edu/docs/krupnick.html. Accessed 17 April 2006.
• Malandro, Barker and Barker. 1989. http://www.spectrum.uni- bielefeld.de/Classes/Winter97/PhonMM/phonmm/node38.html. Accessed 17 April 2006.
• Tronto, Joan C. "Women and Caring: What can Feminists Learn about Morality from Caring?" Women and Values. Pearsall, Marilyn, ed. Wadsworth: Belmont, CA, 1999.

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