Feminist Perspectives on Language

The Feminist Perspectives Series seeks to provide concise, accessible and engaging introductions to key feminist topics and debates. The texts in the series are designed to be used on a wide range of courses exploring feminist issues and are written by experienced teachers who are also well known in their respective fields. Each book in the series includes the most up-to-date statistics, research data, key sources and suggestions for further reading.

Feminist Perspectives On Language provides an accessible introduction to this complex area. It redresses the balance of current feminist texts which tend to concentrate on discourse analysis and fail to connect with feminist thought in other disciplines such as sociology and politics. The text is divided into two parts, the first looks at language itself, how we learn language exploring such questions as; Does language free or trap us? Does our language affect how we come to understand the world around us? Is our language sexist? If so, does that reflect male dominance in society? and many more issues. Part Two explores questions of methodology and interpretation examining language in use, communication styles and the analysis of conversation.

1. Introduction
2. Analysing Language from a Feminist Perspective
3. Language, Thought and Reality: Feminist Perspectives
4. Gender in the English Language: an Exploration
5. Language in Use: Feminist Perspectives
6. Gender and Language use: the Evidence
7. The Dual Cultures Approach
8. Conclusions: Changing Language, Changing the World?
References, Glossary, Index