What's in a name? How language shapes society

Swearing is a common part of day-to-day conversation for many people. But why do we swear and how have our favourite swear words changed over time? Join Robbie Love from Aston University to discover the science of swearing, from what happens in the brain when we swear to tracking how often we swear with the help of corpus linguistics.

Television plays a key role in setting out cultural scripts of masculinity, but it can also act as a destabilising force, opening up spaces for alternative expressions of masculinity. In this talk, Robert Lawson discusses how masculinities are presented in the comedy show Brooklyn Nine-Nine, examining how male characters use language to connect with others, build relationships, and demonstrate affiliation. The talk suggests that while the show advocates for a more ‘positive’ masculinity, much of the comedy relies on a tension between progressive and traditional masculinity.