The kind of gossiping that 36TEAK36 speaks of is our civilised equivalent of the grooming that groups of apes and monkeys do.
It's a bonding exercise, it reinforces the group dynamic - which is why it's perfectly possible for a group of people to gossip with someone, and when they leave for a few minutes, to gossip about them.
I think any group of people with either gender are prone to this, because it is subconciously reassuring, maintaining your own place in the hierarchy, and ensuring that everyone else knows theirs as well - even though that place fluctuates as the personnel in the group change.
Men do tend to like to 'fight their corner' more in exchanges - even i have been known to get stuck in if i feel aggrieved about something.