--- In conlang@yahoogroups.com, Joseph Bridwell <zhosh@2...> wrote:
>I'll seek out the book to read, but I seldom take one person's
>assertions as universally true.
>As to the relationships between social gender and natlangs, I dislike
>the ultra-feminist view (i.e. all men are forever out to oppress
women
>in any & every way) but am willing to entertain the idea that
classes,
>in a language which already has them, can shift to reflect a male
bias.
>Q: Am I the only one who perceives professional linguists as prone to
>grab onto an idea and run it to its extreme? (e.g. Sapir-Wohrf
>hypothesis)?
Y'all might be interested in the novel "The Gate to Women's Country"
by Sheri Teper. It's an account of the relationships between men and
women in a post-apocalyptic setting. I believe it's in California,
although the author doesn't say. It has a very interesting
conclusion.
My limited experience is that there are scientists of all disciplines
who can latch onto to a hypothesis and be unwilling to let it go,
even going so far as to tamper with evidence in some way so as to
protect their hypothesis.
Charlie
htt;//wiki.frath.net/user:caeruleancentaur