Duels and Duets
Why Men and Women Talk So Differently

Why do men and women talk so differently and how do these differences interfere with communication between the sexes?

John L. Locke (Author)

9780521887137, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 25 August 2011

252 pages, 6 b/w illus.
22.4 x 14.6 x 1.9 cm, 0.47 kg

'You'll learn why men speak as they do when trying to pull a girl and how women adopt a different tone when talking to each other … An interesting viewpoint.' The Sun

Why do men and women talk so differently? And how do these differences interfere with communication between the sexes? In search of an answer to these and other questions, John Locke takes the reader on a fascinating journey, from human evolution through ancient history to the present, revealing why men speak as they do when attempting to impress or seduce women, and why women adopt a very different way of talking when bonding with each other, or discussing rivals. When men talk to men, Locke argues, they frequently engage in a type of 'dueling', locking verbal horns with their rivals in a way that enables them to compete for the things they need, mainly status and sex. By contrast, much of women's talk sounds more like a verbal 'duet', a harmonious way of achieving their goals by sharing intimate thoughts and feelings in private.

1. Speech, sex, and gender
2. Duels
3. Bards, heroes, Romeos, and clowns
4. Why do men duel?
5. Duets
6. Complicity
7. Why do women duet?
8. Collaboration in language and in life.

Subject Areas: Gender studies, gender groups [JFSJ], Sociolinguistics [CFB]