EQUALITY GUIdE - KU Leuven

198 Equality Guide
4. Category: communication differences between men and women
Apparently, men and women display many differences in the field of communication.
Men are said to be better in recognizing the unwritten rules about university
careers.
Men communicate more in an informal way. Women recognize they do this too
little. Men are for example more into networking during receptions, in the lobby etc
while women often do not realize it is a useful way of becoming known and of
putting themselves in the spotlights.
At meetings, men are more direct and reward arrogance. It is a form of intimidation
and a tool to acquire a certain status. Moreover, emotion-driven communication is
taboo and that is difficult for many women as for them rational and emotional aspects
are stronger intertwined.
Men are more communicative in meetings than women are but they often ‘talk nonsense’,
a difference described by one participant as “the unpretentiousness of
women versus the self-confidence of men”.
Women consider their dynamic communication abilities and their attention for nonverbal
elements as strong points. They can read between the lines, show consideration
for everyone and are more balanced. They also better than men understand
the art of being a chameleon. In general, they have better communication skills, a
potential they should be able to maximize.
5. Category: faculty, culture and time characteristics
The female researchers noted the differences between faculties. Written skills in
particular are very important in exact sciences because there is a strong emphasis
on publications, but the importance of oral skills is increasing as well. In the old
days, a university was an ivory tower, now it is a component of society and that has
its consequences on communication.
6. Category: social perception
Society still thinks differently about the characteristics of men and women. One of
the participants mentioned having two children with the same school grades. “But
while the boy is often said to be highly intelligent, the girl is referred to as ‘hardworking’
(although this is not the case).” Another example is that arrogance in
women is less tolerated than in men and that self-confident women are often called
‘bitches’. Female professors are more often addressed by their first name while male
professors are addressed as ‘Sir’.
7. Category: male standards
Professionalism standards are traditionally male-oriented. Governing boards often
mainly consist of men and it would be desirable to have more women in them.
However, this demands a lot of time from a small number of women at the top
who, as exceptions in this male-dominated world, are asked for everything. At conferences
as well, the majority of the speakers are men. Even female listeners often
think they are better than the female speakers, but this is probably due to the fact