8 ms·
Sex is a biological variable – in the brain too
- nisuni 8y agoThe fact that there’s a need to restate this obvious point is a signal of the absurd times we live in.
- MyHypatia 8y agoI agree that denying all sex differences in the human brain is just bad science. There is a long history of "men and women are biologically different therefore women can't ____." "Men and women are biologically different therefore women shouldn't ___." "Men and women biologically different, therefore women don't want ____." "Men and women are biologically different, therefore women prefer." When biological differences are exaggerated to justify limiting a population of people, it doesn't surprise me that one response is to just flat out deny biology, when it is exaggerated and weaponized to justify limiting others (see historical arguments on why women shouldn't participate in running marathons, why women wouldn't make good medical doctors, how women have inferior/emotional reasoning, why women shouldn't be allowed into combat roles, why women don't like physics). I think the question is, how do we as a society acknowledge these differences without being mentally lazy and applying "averages" to individual people? Until very recently women were denied combat roles because of biological arguments about the "average woman". Society used a "biology" argument to deny ALL women the opportunity, even to the ones who excel in these roles. Individual women demonstrated their biological abilities to excel in combat roles and were STILL denied the opportunity because of the "women on average...." and "men and women are biologically different...." arguments. Their very real abilities were "averaged out" and their opportunities to make the most of themselves were denied. Of course men and women are different. The question is, when will we as a society be able to acknowledge those differences without unnecessarily screwing people over? People will stop denying biological truths when it isn't weaponized against them.
- danharaj 8y agoThese sex differences always conspire to keep women out of important social and economic roles. Such a coincidence!
- malvosenior 8y agoThat's not true. Teaching is a very important social role and it's very much dominated by women. Of course there's the most important social role of all: parenting. Stay at home dads do not receive the support and admiration mothers do.
- glhaynes 8y agoNote that neither teaching nor parenting are remotely lucrative. The opposite, in fact - my understanding is that much of the income gap is not from managerial discrimination (though that is a factor too, of course) but because of time women spend away from employment to have and support children. I agree that it’s arguably the most important social role but our economic system is upside-down in its valuation of it. Stay at home dads do not receive the support and admiration mothers do. Yes! Patriarchy harms us all.
- malvosenior 8y ago> Note that neither teaching nor parenting are remotely lucrative. The opposite, in fact - my understanding is that much of the income gap is not from managerial discrimination (though that is a factor too, of course) but because of time women spend away from employment to have and support children. I agree that it’s arguably the most important social role but our economic system is upside-down in its valuation of it. There's more to life than money. In fact the quest to make everyone an office drone has lowered salaries for all workers. It's also lowered women's happiness, eventhough their earning potential has greatly increased: https://www.nber.org/papers/w14969 https://www.nber.org/papers/w14969 > Yes! Patriarchy harms us all. Please don't do this here. No need to bring in gendered insults. Labeling something that harms men the "patriarchy" is nonsensical.
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