The Myth of Mars and Venus

Do men and women really speak different languages?

Deborah Cameron (University of Oxford)

$29.95

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Oxford University Press
01 December 2008

linguistics; Sociolinguistics; Gender studies, gender groups; Popular science; Health & Self-Help; Gift books

Popular assumptions about gender and communication - famously summed up in the title of the massively influential 1992 bestseller Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus - can have unforeseen but far-reaching consequences in many spheres of life, from attitudes to the phenomenon of

'date-rape' to expectations of achievement at school, and potential discrimination in the work-place. In this wide-ranging and thoroughly readable book, Deborah Cameron, Rupert Murdoch Professor of Language and Communication at Oxford University and author of a number of leading texts in the field of language and gender studies, draws on over 30 years of scientific research to explain what we really know and to demonstrate how this is often very different from the accounts we are familiar with from recent popular writing. Ambitious in scope and exceptionally accessible, The Myth of Mars and Venus tells it like it is: widely accepted attitudes from the past and from other cultures are at heart related to assumptions about language and the place of men and women in society; and there is as much similarity and variation within each gender as between men and women, often associated with social roles and relationships. The author goes on to consider the influence of Darwinian theories of natural selection and the notion that girls and boys are socialized during childhood into different ways of using language, before addressing problems of 'miscommunication' surrounding, for example, sex and consent to sex, and women's relative lack of success in work and politics. Arguing that what linguistic differences there are between men and women are driven by the need to construct and project personal meaning and identity, Cameron concludes that we have an urgent need to think about gender in more complex ways than the prevailing myths and stereotypes allow.

A compelling and insightful read for anyone with an interest in communication, language, and the sexes.

By: Deborah Cameron (University of Oxford)
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 130mm, Spine: 18mm
Weight: 226g
ISBN: 9780199550999
ISBN 10: 0199550999
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 01 December 2008
Audience: College/higher education , College/higher education , A / AS level , Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Reviews for The Myth of Mars and Venus: Do men and women really speak different languages?

Throughout the book, Cameron's examination of everything from childhood development to evolutionary psychology to Mars and Venus myths in the workplace is insightful, incisive, and enlightening. For those who have ever felt discomfort with stereotypes about gendered communication, this book is a breath of fresh air. The skeptic, the egalitarian, and the doubter of pseudo-science will relish this book, which is full of facts to tuck away for later use in dismantling the arguments of gender-determinists. --Aiko Ayers, The Hipster Book Club 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 to fit our culture. --Feminist Review