Tavits and co-author Pérez have been honored for their book on the ways language shapes political opinion.
Margit Tavits, chair and professor of political science, and Efrén Pérez, professor of political science at Duke University, recently won the Robert E. Lane Award for “Voicing Politics: How Language Shapes Public Opinion." The award is given each year by the American Political Science Association for the best book in political psychology. “Voicing Politics” is about the ways linguistic variation can impact political attitudes and beliefs.
Tavits, the Dr. William Taussig Professor in Arts & Sciences, said she’s honored and humbled to receive the award. Of her many studies, the research presented in this book is among her favorites.
Though she’s always been fascinated with language, Tavits said the topic is largely uncharted territory in the field of political science. “It wasn’t always clear whether others in the discipline shared my excitement about the ways quirks of grammar guide our attention and shape our opinions,” she said. “This award motivates me to pursue this line of inquiry even further.”
