These communities represent different cultures -- people who have different ways of speaking, acting, and interpreting, as well as different values, priorities, and agendas. According to the different cultures thesis, masculine and feminine modes of thinking, speaking, and interpreting represent stylistic differences, not functional differences; each community is held to develop its own characteristic styles of addressing communication goals. Different styles are assumed to be equally valid and functionally equivalent; that is, within their respective communities, different styles are assumed to be equally effective at achieving intended outcomes." (2007) MacGeorge reports having conducted a study to test the communicative differences between genders and states findings that the result of the study "...provide very little support for the hypotheses' stated in the gender communicative theory. (2007) IV. EXPERIENTIAL SIMILARITIES in GRIEF

The work of Suitor and Pillemer (2000) entitled: "When Experience Counts Most: Effects of Experiential Similarity on Men's and Women's Receipt of Support During Bereavement" reports a study which investigated "the differential effects of experiential similarity on men's and women's support" through a longitudinal study of 59 individuals who had recently lost a family member for whom they were the primary caretaker. Findings of the study state that the multivariate analysis showed that "experiential similarity was important in explaining both men's and women's patterns of emotional support during bereavement." (Suitor and Pillemer, 2000)

SUMMARY & CONCLUSION

It is clear from the studies reviewed in this work that...

These similarities are shown as evidenced by the literature reviewed in this study to hold true across cultures and to be findings stated in studies conducted throughout the world.
Bibliography

The Truth about Gender Differences (2008) American Psychological Association. Online available at http://www.psychologymatters.org/nodifference.html

Guimond, Serge (2007) Psychological Similarities and Differences between Women and Men across Cultures. Social & Personality Psychology Compass. Nov 2007. Abstract Online available at http://www.blackwell-compass.com/subject/socialpsychology/article_view?article_id=spco_articles_bpl036

MacGeorge, Erina L. (2007) the myth of gender cultures: similarities outweigh differences in men's and women's provision of and responses to supportive communication. Sex Roles Journal. Feb. 2004. Online available at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2294/is_3-4_50/ai_114703688/print?tag=artBody;col1

Suitor, J.J. And Pillemer, K. (2000) When Experience Counts Most: Effects of Experiential Similarity on Men's and Women's Receipt of Support During Bereavement. Social Networks. Vol. 22 Issue 4. October 2000. Online available at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VD1-428DW6S-2&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=fe24f83af1dca9d2b4a0c6fe3a0fae3c