The Myth of Mars and Venus: Do Men and Women Really Speak Different Languages?

Popular assumptions about gender and communication—famously summed up in the title of the 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 workplace. In this wide-ranging and thoroughly readable book, Deborah Cameron, Rupert Murdoch Professor of Language and Communication at Oxford University and author of leading texts in gender studies, draws on over 30 years of research to explain what we really know and how it often differs from popular accounts. Cameron explores how attitudes from different cultures relate to language and societal roles, emphasizing that there is more similarity than difference within genders, often tied to social roles. Addressing Darwinian theories and childhood socialization, she discusses issues of miscommunication around sex and consent, and women’s success in work and politics. Cameron argues that differences in language are mainly about constructing personal identity and calls for more nuanced understanding of gender beyond stereotypes.