Event Details

Language and Discrimination: The treatment of people based on their use of language

This presentation by Dr. Richard Epstein will present a linguistic perspective on questions such as: what is “proper English” and how did it get to be that way?  Is it really ok to deny someone a job - that is, discriminate against them - because of their dialect?  Is African-American English just slang?  And what’s really wrong with double negatives, anyway? The presentation will discuss how misconceptions regarding grammar and dialects lead us to make detrimental - and often incorrect - judgments concerning people's character.