The gendered brain - myth or reality

McGinty

I was reading an article in one of the papers about how different the male and female brains are wired from birth, and this researcher (can't remember the name has studied this intensively - of course they'd say that) anyhow I study english literature, and throughout we cover gender issues in literature, last year we did 18th century literature and this year renaissance literature, and throughout there are leaflets, pamphlets etc, informing the differences between men and women, we study these archaic pieces but don't seem to make the connection that today in our society, there are doctors, researchers, sociologists, ad finetuem that are arguing how different men and women are. In other words same arguement but different century and different type of research. From a historical and literary perspective we are arguing against the confines of this gender stereotyping yet in our current society these same views are still being promoted. This seems ludicrous to me. Personally I don't think we can confine each gender into its own neat little box, some men are more effiminate and some women are more masculine. Since time immemorable there have been writings that state how different men and women are, but are we really that different? Is the role of men and women culturally defined? I don't mean physically but on a human level. In a sense I almost feel gendered out, yet here I am writing about it, again

Red Hand

I read an interesting (and funny!) book a few years ago.

Why men won't ask for directions and women can't read maps. which dealt with this issue in a popular science sort of way.

There may be some evidence for the idea. There are more men in spatially orientated roles such as engineering/architecture, even motor racing etc than women, but this could be due to the fact that women don't want such jobs or don't have a tradition in assuming such roles is another thing.

Insurance premiums are slightly higher for women than men mile for mile due to more s involving women than men. Men on average have fewer s than women, but when they do, they cause much, much more damage and there is a greater risk of them or another party involved being killed. The reason that most insurance companies require more money in policies from men is that men drive more miles on average.

seamus

Like most other areas of psychoanalysis, this is one where there's been a move towards the belief that nothing is 100% nature or 100% nurture. That every experience we have in life affects our decision and feelings later on in life, but there's still a large quotient of instinct which sits below this.

My own personal view on it is that for your average man and woman, there is a certain primal "push" towards gender-orientation - at a base level, "Man - Provider; Woman - Carer" - but this push is exacerbated by societal norms and expectations. I also have trouble reconciling the idea that either gender is naturally better at certain occupations - it's all down to practice - however there are actual physical differences between the genders which gives either an edge in certain fields. That is, assuming that a professional male runner and a professional female runner are at the peak of their skills, the male is only distinguished because he naturally has stronger muscles and better endurance. He's not actually any better at the running "skill". If that makes sense

--Kaiser--

seamus wrote:

. That is, assuming that a professional male runner and a professional female runner are at the peak of their skills, the male is only distinguished because he naturally has stronger muscles and better endurance. He's not actually any better at the running "skill". If that makes sense

Just to be pedantic, that's not true, mens legs are 'straighter' and thus better suited to running, whilst womens legs tend to slant inward slightly to better support the pelvis (and possible child)

The difference isn't huge but it is there, similarly, I do think there are differences in the brains of men and women. What they are I don't know, but ti's not a purely brought about by society or upbringing

GuanYin

Most of the difference is hormonal regulation of neurotransmitters but we don't fully understand that yet. Size difference is also there, but I'm sceptical myself that there is anything to that but a throwback from less evolved days.

Of course, if you want to believe there is no physiological difference, go ahead. Sure, we may as all just forsake gender. I've always thought test tubes and syringes were sexy anyway.....

McGinty

Hi

It is pretty obvious that there are physical differences between women, but what I find absurd is that any cultural studies will attack historical outlooks on gender that seperate male from female in a very strict fashion, yet we have this outlook still in contemporary society.

Personally I believe that there are some differences but we each have an inner masculine/ feminine side, so I am a woman (love being one too ) but at times I have a very strong masculine side to me that comes out in various ways, in the same way that there are plenty of men who have a strong feminine side. I don't see feminine as exclusively for women, I would define feminine as an aspect or attributes, with qualities of caring, nurturing, emotions and so forth, and masculine with qualities such as independence, action, aggression and so forth. I find the focus on male / female differences set into their appropriate feminine/masculine aspects tend to overlook these attributes and the outlook is limiting and problematic for people who lean towards one aspect more so than the other.

Also it can be and is great fun to get in touch and play around with your inner man in my case, or for a man to play around with his inner woman, it can be very liberating and a nice two fingers to the evoluntionary psychologists/sociologists, etc, etc who try to box us into one gender.

fly_agaric

McGinty wrote: »

It is pretty obvious that there are physical differences between women, but what I find absurd is that any cultural studies will attack historical outlooks on gender that seperate male from female in a very strict fashion, yet we have this outlook still in contemporary society.

Why? People like to categorise and over-simplify. Is it more absurd than claiming gender is totally created by "society"?

McGinty wrote: »

a nice two fingers to the evoluntionary psychologists/sociologists, etc, etc who try to box us into one gender.

Why do you think they are trying to "box" anyone in anywhere. Sounds like an ulterior motive. Are they not just scientists who want to find out how things are, as opposed to the way we (well, someone) would wish them to be?
What they uncover is often interesting for everyone so it gets publicised widely, distorted, called into arguments and debates on one side or the other etc etc.

McGinty wrote: »

a man to play around with his inner woman

<shivers>