Gossip consists of rumors or other information about the personal or private affairs of others. Gossiping is the sharing of gossip. Gossip often circulates within social groups and may serve social functions such as bonding, norm enforcement, or the sharing of reputational information. However, gossiping has often been viewed negatively by societies throughout history.
Etymology The word is from Old English godsibb, from god and sibb, the term for the godparents of one's child or the parents of one's godchild, generally very close friends. In the 16th century, the word assumed the meaning of a person, mostly a woman, one who delights in idle talk, a newsmonger, a tattler. In the early 19th century, the term was extended from the talker to the conversation of such persons. The verb to gossip, meaning "to be a gossip", first appears in the writings of Shakespeare. The term originates from the bedroom at the time of childbirth. Giving birth used to be a social event exclusively attended by women. The pregnant woman's female relatives and neighbors would congregate and idly converse. In the Middle Ages, "a gossip" referred to a community of tight-knit friendships between women. Over time, gossip came to mean talk of others.
Functions
Gossip can:
reinforce – or punish the lack of – morality and accountability reveal passive aggression, isolating and harming others build and maintain a sense of community with shared interests, information, and values begin a courtship that helps one find their desired mate, by counseling others provide a peer-to-peer mechanism for disseminating information
Workplace gossip Mary Gormandy White, a human resource expert, gives the following "signs" for identifying workplace gossip:
Animated people become silent ("Conversations stop when you enter the room") People begin staring at someone Workers indulge in inappropriate topics of conversation. White suggests "five tips ... [to] handle the situation with aplomb:
Rise above the gossip Understand what causes or fuels the gossip Do not participate in workplace gossip. Allow for the gossip to go away on its own If it persists, "gather facts and seek help." Peter Vajda identifies gossip as a form of workplace violence, noting that it is "essentially a form of attack." Gossip is thought by many to "empower one person while disempowering another" (Hafen).Accordingly, many companies have formal policies in their employee handbooks against gossip. Sometimes there is room for disagreement on exactly what constitutes unacceptable gossip, since workplace gossip may take the form of offhand remarks about someone's tendencies such as "He always takes a long lunch," or "Don't worry, that's just how she is." TLK Healthcare cites as examples of gossip, "tattletaling to the boss without intention of furthering a solution or speaking to co-workers about something someone else has done to upset us." Corporate email can be a particularly dangerous method of gossip delivery, as the medium is semi-permanent and messages are easily forwarded to unintended recipients; accordingly, a Mass High Tech article advised employers to instruct employees against using company email networks for gossip. Low self-esteem and a desire to "fit in" are frequently cited as motivations for workplace gossip. There are five essential functions that gossip has in the workplace (according to DiFonzo & Bordia):
Helps individuals learn social information about other individuals in the organization (often without even having to meet the other individual) Builds social networks of individuals by bonding co-workers together and affiliating people with each other. Breaks existing bonds by ostracizing individuals within an organization. Enhances one's social status/power/prestige within the organization. Informs individuals as to what is considered socially acceptable behavior within the organization. According to Kurkland and Pelled, workplace gossip can be very serious depending upon the amount of power that the gossiper has over the recipient, which will in turn affect how the gossip is interpreted. There are four types of power that are influenced by gossip:
Coercive: when a gossiper tells negative information about a person, their recipient might believe that the gossiper will also spread negative information about them. This causes the gossiper's coercive power to increase. Reward: when a gossiper tells positive information about a person, their recipient might believe that the gossiper will also spread positive information about them. This causes the gossiper's reward power to increase. Expert: when a gossiper seems to have very detailed knowledge of either the organization's values or about others in the work environment, their expert power becomes enhanced. Referent: this power can either be reduced OR enhanced to a point. When people view gossiping as a petty activity done to waste time, a gossiper's referent power can decrease along with their reputation. When a recipient is thought of as being invited into a social circle by being a recipient, the gossiper's referent power can increase, but only to a high point where then the recipient begins to resent the gossiper (Kurland & Pelled).
Negative consequences of the gossip Some serious negative consequences of gossip may include:
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