Book Review: Cameron, D. (2006). On Language and Sexual Politics. New York: Routledge
Abstract
Book ReviewCameron, D. (2006). On Language and Sexual Politics. New York: Routledge SAGE Publications, Inc.200710.1177/0261927X07306985 LindaSteiner University of Maryland, College Park Fans of Deborah Cameron will be familiar with the 11 essays in this collection: eight of them were already published at least once; the other three were public talks. Nonetheless, there are several good reasons to read this book. For fans, there is the sheer pleasure of reading witty, contentious, if not downright combative essays about how language enters sexual politics. Even those who have already read these essays will enjoy seeing some of her classics in this new context. Each has a short introduc- tion that looks back on the context for the work and acknowledges where she concedes ground and where, more often, she stands firm. In this light, and mindful that “much of the meaning of any individual's work lies in the historical conditions that produced it” (p. 9), readers can trace the trajectory of her argument that the relationship between language and gender is primarily a political issue. Those less familiar with the Oxford feminist sociolinguist will, in one convenient volume, get elegant snippets repre- senting several of Cameron's major interests since 1984,