Difference Matters: Communicating Social Identity

Allen's proven ability and flare for presenting complex and oftentimes sensitive topics in nonthreatening ways carry over in the latest edition of Difference Matters. Her down-to-earth analysis of six social identity categories reveals how communication establishes and enacts identity and power dynamics. She provides historical overviews to show how perceptions of gender, race, social class, sexuality, ability, and age have varied throughout time and place. Allen clearly explains pertinent theoretical perspectives and illustrates those and other discussions with real-life experiences (many of which are her own). She also offers practical guidance for how to communicate difference more humanely. While many examples are from organizational contexts, readers from a wide range of backgrounds can relate to them and appreciate their relevance. The second edition includes updated statistics, recent research, and examples from contemporary events in the United States.

Brenda J. Allen (Ph.D., Howard University) is an Associate Dean in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and a Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Colorado Denver (UCD).  Her research and teaching areas are organizational communication, diversity, group communication, and computer-mediated communication.  Among her numerous publications is a groundbreaking book entitled Difference Matters: Communicating Social Identity (2nd Ed.;   2011, Waveland Press).
She also serves as Master Mentor of the Tenure Track Faculty Mentoring Program at UCD. In addition, she presents keynote speeches and conducts workshops for various groups on a range of topics, including diversity, teamwork, self-empowerment, strategic planning, and presentational speaking.