Submitted by mmurawska on 22 January, 2009 - 21:42.
IFA Gender and Language (GAL) Group
invites everyone to a meeting
devoted to discussing a book by Deborah Cameron
The Myth of Mars and Venus:
Do men and women really speak different languages?
***
‘Women talk more than men’
‘Women are better at interacting than men’
‘Men use language on a less personal and more competitive basis
than women’
We all know the commonly-held beliefs about communication between the sexes. Deborah Cameron questions how well these ‘facts’ stack up against the evidence, and demonstrates why it matters. (from the back cover)
***
A thriving industry of self-help manuals and popular science books has grown up in the last fifteen years, all based on the assertion that there are fundamental differences in the way that men and women use language to communicate. Whether the reason given is nature, nurture , or planet of origin, the ‘Mars and Venus’ story is widely accepted. But, asks Deborah Cameron, ‘Why do so many people find it convincing?’
Drawing on the findings of more than thirty years of academic research, Cameron dispels the myths to tell a much more complicated – and satisfying – story, and shows how selective and inaccurate is the picture presented by many popular writers. She also demonstrates that popular assumptions about ‘male-female miscommunication’ can have far-reaching consequences in many areas of life: for example, attitudes to sexual violence or discrimination in the work-place. (from OUP Press Release)
"In this wonderfully refreshing new book, Cameron precisely reviews myths and candidly points out that they are myths. Her work here is a brilliantly detailed review of where and when different and incompatible stories are made it fit our culture." (Feminist Review)
Wednesday, 28 Jan 2008, 5 p.m. Room 602A.
Join us whether you have read the book or not.
And whatever planet you come from…
