Deborah Cameron

DEBORAH CAMERON

• Cameron criticised the idea that there are natural differences in male and female speech
• ‘idea of men and women using language in different ways for different reasons is a great myth’
• Cameron discusses how this myth has progressed – we now believe that men have a natural desire to be competitive (aggressive speech style) – women talk about relationships and feelings
• Says that these myths have moulded our expectations of men and women and linguist behaviour that we believe is normal
• Cameron’s work mainly focuses on how speakers construct gendered identities for themselves
• This could challenge or draw in stereotypes
• Theorist Janet Hyde suggests that men and women language is actually similar due to said variables; age, class ethnicity

Men	Women
Dominate conversation by topic initiation, topic shifts, holding the floor, interrupting and speaking more.	More submissive in a conversation and likely to speak less. Unlikely to interrupt, initiate or change topics.
Use an informal register through their use if accent, taboo, slang, dialect, sociolect etc.. Likely to use covert prestige to sustain a masculine identity.	More likely to use overt prestige to help create a feminine identity and succumb to stereotypes on how a ‘lady’ should talk.
More likely to be factual, competitive, direct and detached when speaking while maintaining a need for status.	More likely to be supportive, cooperative, polite, apologetic when speaking.