The argument culture
Subtitle: stopping America's war of words
By: Deborah Tannen
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Published: 1999
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 348
ISBN-13: 9780345407511
Subjects: Persuasion (Rhetoric); Konfliktlösung; Debates and debating; Dialogue analysis; Streit
Description: The author examines the way we communicate in public--in the media, in politics, in our courtrooms, and classrooms -- once again letting us see in a new way forces that have powerfully shaped our lives. The war on drugs, the battle of the sexes, political turf combat -- in the argument culture, war metaphors pervade our talk and influence our thinking. We approach anything we need to accomplish as a fight between two opposing sides. In this book, she shows how deeply entrenched this cultural tendency is, the forms it takes, and how it affects us every day -- sometimes in useful ways, but often causing damage.
Notes: Includes "A Reader's Companion" consisting of an interview with the author and discussion questions.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [315]-325) and index.
Table of contents: title: Acknowledgments; title: 1. Fighting for our lives; title: 2. Both sides come out fighting : the argument culture and the press; title: 3. From lapdog to attack dog : the aggression culture and the press; title: 4. "A plague on both your houses!" : opposition in our political lives; title: 5. "Litigation is war"; title: 6. Boys will be boys : gender and opposition; title: 7. What other ways are there? : listening to other cultures; title: 8. Fast forward: technologically enhanced aggression; title: 9. The roots of debate in education and the hope of dialogue; title: Notes; title: References; title: Index.