Re: Sex Differences In The Brain

Posted by Natalie L. Smith on May 21, 2002 at 16:48
(168.216.210.33)

Re: Sex Differences In The Brain (DA Morgan)

OK. This is diving right into a personal pet peeve. I will grant that there may be brain differences, even absent from societal effects (though how you really separate the two for study is still entirely unsolved). BUT, the differences are spectral shifts and nothing more.
The link had a list of male and female type problems. I am a female (happily and utterly and distinctly... if you catch my drift), but the problems on the "male" side were the type that I a) enjoy doing and b) can do very quickly. On tests that present these types of problems, I always test in the top percentile and even fraction of a percentile. My idea of fun is to sit around doing physics problems. However, for me the fun part is logically constructing the problem, NOT NOT NOT the tedious calculation phase. Meanwhile, that is exactly counter to what they are telling me that I, as a female, am supposed to be good at. Now, I am unaggresive, nurturing, emotional, etc. etc. I cry at Hallmark commercials and ever every issue of Reader's Digest and I have never felt any kind of gender confusion, yet, why do I still perceive a problem here???
Yesterday and today, Channel One (a satellite broadcast show aimed at high schoolers and presented to them at subscribing schools) showed a segment on how some public high schools are beginning to separate the students into single gender classes. The rationale presented by the supporters was that "boys and girls have different learning styles". I can not begin to express how upsetting this is for me. If I, as a female, have certain problem solving skills "like a boy", do you think they would then put me in the physics class teaching physics in the style appropriate for me? You can bet they wouldn't and "separate but equal" has always been a crock! So, how long before the girl physics class spends its time leaning on "discussion" style and "conceptual" evaluations and I would have hated it. In other words, I would be willing to buy it if they said they were going to test the students for learning styles and separate them into different groups based on the results of those tests, but to do it flatly based on gender is a farce!!!!! A travesty!!!!!!! Let's come right out and say it. They are doing it to simplify disciplining and the girls are, as always, going to get shafted. And it will be done subtly and smoothly so that any girl will be afraid to challenge the status quo lest she be viewed as unfeminine - - O! fate worse than death!
End of rant.

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