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The Why Factor: Men, Women and Language

Men, women and language

20/11/2017 GMT

Men, Women and Language

BBC World Service - The Why Factor, Men, Women and Language

Women apologise too much, men interrupt more. Are these stereotypes true?

Women apologise too much, men interrupt more. Are these stereotypes true? Why do we believe them?

Beliefs about language and gender are everywhere; we are told that women apologise more, men interrupt more, women talk more, that men are from Mars and women are from Venus. But are any of these things true? Why do so many people believe them? 

Catherine Carr speaks to leading linguiss Deborah Cameron and Janet Holmes, who have studied thousands of conversations and gathered data to discover the truth. She also interviews one of the most senior women in technology, Nicola Mendelsohn from Facebook, to discover how stereotypes impact women in leadership roles.

(Photo: Donald Trump listens behind Hillary Clinton as she answers a question Credit: Reuters)

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