Dr Kathryn Waddington, Reader in Psychology, has written an article for The Conversation about how gossip has been long misunderstood and how it can be a positive tool in the workplace.
The article begins by examining the origins of gossip as a means to pass on socially useful information and its development into the negative stereotype of ‘women’s talk’ around the time of the European witch hunts throughout the 17th and 18th centuries.
Gossip is therefore often a term associated with women, however Dr Waddington highlights research, including her own, which shows that men and women engage in gossip in equal amounts, with men feeling more comfortable swapping the term gossip with ones such as ‘post-meeting debrief’, due to the negative connotations associated with gossiping.
Speaking about how gossip in the workplace can actually be a positive tool, Dr Waddington said: “Popular stereotypes of gossip overemphasise the negative judgements made in gossip, but it can be associated with compassion, empathy and noticing suffering. Gossip is a way of expressing emotions, both positive and negative, a way of “letting off steam” and an emotional reaction to perceived social injustice.”
She added: “There are also times when gossip is an expression of concern about unethical or unprofessional behaviour – for instance when there is “common knowledge” about sexual abuse, but nobody speaks up. When the topic of gossip is about poor practice in organisations, it can act as an early warning signal that should be heeded, rather than ignored or disregarded.”
Read the full article on The Conversation’s website.
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