Deborah Tannen

Deborah Tannen is an American professor of linguistics who specializes in the relationships between language, gender and power. She is best known for her groundbreaking books, You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation and Talking From 9 to 5: Women and Men at Work. She is also the author of 11 other books and dozens of articles, book chapters, and reviews. Tannen has been recognized for her work in the fields of gender, identity, and communication.

Born in 1945, Tannen grew up in a Jewish household in New York City. She discovered her interest in language in college where she developed an interest in sociolinguistics, the study of how language is used in social contexts. She furthered her studies at UC Berkeley, studying with renowned language experts from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. During this time, Tannen published her first book, On Face-Work, about how people indicate their feelings in conversation. This book already revealed her focus on gender, something that would follow her throughout her career.

Since the mid-1980s, Tannen has been a highly sought-after speaker and a prolific author. Her book You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation is considered a bestseller and was described as "the bible of gender communications" by the Washington Post. In it, Tannen lays out the differences in how men and women communicate, arguing that both genders tend to speak in different ways and that these differences can create tension in relationships. She further explained her ideas about gender and communication in other titles, such as Talking From 9 to 5: Women and Men at Work, You’re Wearing That? Understanding Mothers and Daughters in Conversation, and The Argument Culture: Stopping America’s War of Words.

Tannen has also written extensively about other aspects of communication and how gender can influence how we relate to each other. Her books such as Conversational Style: Analyzing Talk Among Friends, That’s Not What I Meant!: How Conversational Style Makes or Breaks Relationships, and You Were Always Mom’s Favorite!: Sisters in Conversation Throughout Their Lives explore the different ways in which we express ourselves depending on our gender, our relationships to one another, and the contexts that we are in.

In addition to her writing, Deborah Tannen has been recognized for her dedication to teaching and her role in the field of linguistics. She is the McLean Professor of Media and Public Affairs at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, and has also taught linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley and Georgetown University. She has received numerous awards for her work and was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2007.

Tannen’s relevance can still be felt today as she continues to be a leader in the field of communication and gender studies. Her work has had a lasting impact on how we understand language, relationships, and power. Her popular books have not only touched on the topics of gender, identity, and conversations, but have also become part of our popular culture. Today, her insights are still being read, shared, and discussed by individuals, couples, and organizations around the world.