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HisPolitenessIsHerPowerlessnessTherearemanydifferentkindsofevidencethatwomenandmenarejudgeddifferentlyeveniftheytalkthesameway.Thistendencymakesmischiefindiscussionsofwomen,menandpower.womenhavelowerstatusthanmeninoursociety.Manypeoplealiketendtoseeanythingwomendoasevidenceofpowerlessness.Becausetheyarenotstrugglingtobeone-up,womenoftenfindthemselvesframedasone-down.Callinganindirectcommunicationcovertreflectstheviewofsomeoneforwhomthedirectstyleseems“natural”and“logical”－aviewmorecommonamongmen.Indirectnessitselfdoesnotreflectpowerlessness.Entireculturesoperateonelaboratesystemsofindirectness.Japaneseculturehasdevelopedindirectnesstoafineart.InmodernWesternsocietiesplaceapriorityondirectcommunication,andevenforusitismoreavaluethanapractice.Evidencefromotherculturesalsomakesitclearthatindirectnessdoesnotitselfreflectlowstatus.Rather,ourassumptionsaboutthestatusofwomencompelustointerpretanythingtheydoasreflectinglowstatus.Whetherwomenormenaredirectorindirectdiffers;whatremainsconstantisthatwomen’sstyleisnegativelyvaluated－seenaslowerinstatusthanthemen’s.Infeudalsociety,thestatusofwomenisverylow,tocomplywithUNIFEMRoad,educatetheirchildrenathome,ashousewives,thereisnopositiontospeak.ButinmodernChina,thestatusofwomenhavegreatlyimproved,hasbeentowardequalitybetweenmenandwomenefforts.