Description
Gender and Politeness challenges the notion that women are necessarily always more polite than men as much of the language and gender literature claims. Sara Mills discusses the complex relations between gender and politeness and argues that although there are circumstances when women speakers, drawing on stereotypes of femininity to guide their behaviour, will appear to be acting in a more polite way than men, there are many circumstances where women will act just as impolitely as men. The book aims to show that politeness and impoliteness are in essence judgements about another's interventions in an interaction and about that person as whole, and are not simple classifications of particular types of speech. Drawing on the notion of community of practice Mills examines the way that speakers negotiate with what they perceive to be gendered stereotypes circulating within their particular group.
Gender and Politeness challenges the notion that women are necessarily always more polite than men.
About the Author
Sara Mills is Research Professor in the School of Cultural Studies, Sheffield Hallam University. Her previous books include Feminist Stylistics and the edited volumes Gendering the Reader and Language and Gender.
Reviews
'... a very valuable contribution to the field for those teaching language and gender courses ... will appeal primarily to the many scholars working in the area of politeness theory ... will also be a valuable addition to the critical material available to graduates interested in pragmatics more generally, and to those interested in postmodernist approaches to gender analysis in particular ... this is an intellectually stimulating book ...'. Journal of Sociolinguistics
'... a timely reconsideration of gender and politeness ... this book has a great deal to offer researchers in various sub-disciplines of linguistics. It challenges taken-for-granted assumptions which will enable linguistic analysis to become a more theoretically complex activity, and I firmly believe that this publication will be a highly influential and authoritative text in gender and politeness research for many years to come.' Journal of Politeness Research
Book Information
ISBN 9780521009195
Author Sara Mills
Format Paperback
Page Count 280
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 393g
Dimensions(mm) 217mm * 139mm * 20mm
Gender and Politeness challenges the notion that women are necessarily always more polite than men.
About the Author
Sara Mills is Research Professor in the School of Cultural Studies, Sheffield Hallam University. Her previous books include Feminist Stylistics and the edited volumes Gendering the Reader and Language and Gender.
Reviews
'... a very valuable contribution to the field for those teaching language and gender courses ... will appeal primarily to the many scholars working in the area of politeness theory ... will also be a valuable addition to the critical material available to graduates interested in pragmatics more generally, and to those interested in postmodernist approaches to gender analysis in particular ... this is an intellectually stimulating book ...'. Journal of Sociolinguistics
'... a timely reconsideration of gender and politeness ... this book has a great deal to offer researchers in various sub-disciplines of linguistics. It challenges taken-for-granted assumptions which will enable linguistic analysis to become a more theoretically complex activity, and I firmly believe that this publication will be a highly influential and authoritative text in gender and politeness research for many years to come.' Journal of Politeness Research
Book Information
ISBN 9780521009195
Author Sara Mills
Format Paperback
Page Count 280
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 393g
Dimensions(mm) 217mm * 139mm * 20mm
