Gender Roles & Biology

[durutti]

I've been trying to research this topic for a while now, and I'm interested in hearing what DUers think: to what extent is the difference between men and women in aptitudes, behavior, and personality (on average) a result of biological disposition?

Shoot.

[DrWeird]

1. I'd say there are rather small biological differences...

that are greatly amplified and exaggerated by societal constraints.

[Mattforclark]

2. rather significant

but not all encompassing.

For a fairly extensive introductory discussion, I would suggest:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0679763996/qid=1083215243/sr=8-3/ref=pd_ka_3/102-6426507-9181752?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

[durutti]

6. I have little respect for Robert Wright.

What he does is metaphysics, not science. His attempted character assassination of Steve Gould really earned by contempt.

[Mattforclark]

7. not so much metaphysics

in the last chapter or 2 of his book, he does get it to philosophy, and that part isn't so good, but all the rest of the book isn't metaphyics and is quite good (at least IMO).

I haven't previously heard about this character assasination, and I'm not sure why it makes the book so bad.

:)

cheers

[Another Bill C.]

3. It's an old book

but I like the logic trains of Desmond Morris in "The Naked Ape."

[unblock]

4. there's a whole body (heh heh) of research on gender differences

you could write a dissertation on the subject. in fact, quite a few have been written.

i would first say that, as far "biological disposition" goes, most aptitude, behavior, and personality differences are explained by hormonal balances rather than chromosomal differences or physical anatomy.

that is, a man with low testosterone and high estrogen will behave more like women; a woman with high testosterone and low estrogen will behave more like men. on average, of course, and more so over time (brief, temporary hormonal shifts won't do as much).

some aptitudes are demonstrably correlated with gender and are most likely physical/chemical, e.g., spatial reasoning (male) and multitasking (female).

however, a very large part of gender differences is purely cultural. much of this is evidenced by examining, e.g., womens' behaviors in very different cultures.

very interesting stuff, though you do have to work sometimes to see past the sometimes heavy-handed political agendas to see the more respectable academic work.

have fun digging!

[Warpy]

5. Well, it depends.

You can always cite the statistical norms, that men are better with the visual-spatial stuff that comes in handy for team sports, while women are better with verbal skills. The trouble with that is that so many of us haven't read those norms and refuse to adhere to them.
When you get to the individual level, you're just as likely to find aptitudes and behaviors outside the statistical norm as inside them.

Having said that, I can say with complete conviction that women are wholly unqualified to be sperm donors. Men are entirely unsuited to maternity.

Other than that, forget it. YOu'll find men who are superb cooks, seamstresses and homemakers and women who make wonderful fighter pilots and engineers.

Basing a culture on focing men and women into rigid sex roles doesn't work that well for most of us, although it made more sense back in the bad old days when mens' work required physical strength and women were pregnant every year and incapable of doing the bull work. Since those days are over, at least temporarily, it makes no sense at all to try to pretend women are delicate and brainless creatures suited to home and hearth and men are fearless warriors suited to the larger world.

[Cleita]

12. A teacher I was having a conversation with once brought up an

interesting point. I don't have anything scientifc right now to back up her theory, so this is just ancedotal, but she said that she believed women were generally smarter than men because they biologically evolved to care for children. Her reasoning was that women can think with both sides of their brains simultaneously, whereas men only use one side at the time. I don't know why she thought this but I found it an interesting idea.

[Cleita]

8. Call me crazy, but no one has been able to come up with real

gender differences in aptitudes, behavior and personality, that I know of in clinical studies (what would a peon like me know about that?) because of biology. My opinion is that, if we were as inferior as the male world would like to believe, then we would be a different species. I would love to hash this out with you Dookus, but I can't stay up any longer. The old phart (male) needs me to help him go to bed. I hope I am not too different or inferior to do this. :-)

[durutti]

11. That's my tentative conclusion.

I haven't found anything that really stands up to much scrutiny.

[Heyo]

9. This was all explained....

..by Dave Chapelle.

Where were you?

;)

Heyo

[Lisa0825]

10. I think it's 65/35 socialization/biology.

From the time of infancy, boys and girls are treated differently. Boys are rough-housed more; girls are pampered and doted on. Boys get trucks and footballs for gifts; girls get dolls and tea sets.

This isn't the "fault" of a child's parents. As soon as kids start socializing with other kids in the park, daycare, friends' homes, etc., they start learning from each other. Sally has Barbies, so now Sue wants them, even though Mom really hates the whole Barbie concept, and pushes Sue to play with the generic sports toys. Society so fully influences each member from infancy that I don't think it's really possible to know what we could be based on biology alone.