Should we teach children about sexism/feminism?

Are you aware that biased self-centred rants don't constitute fact?

Out of curiosity, will you be making a thread for non-whites, homosexuals and every other minority that isn't under-represented in certain sectors?

Bull****

Yes there certainly is an element of learned behaviour, but it's nonsense to say it's entirely an environmental/culturally learned difference.


In the natural world, animal species females and males have, for the most part, very different gender roles, shapes, colours, sizes. Experimentally they have different cognition in certain tasks. Why should humans be different?

In fact, there is plenty of evidence to show that male and female cognition is different (beyond 'learned roles'), and brain structure is different, and responses to certain situations are different, etcetcetc.

A simple example - giving testosterone to someone (man or woman) makes them more aggressive and competitive, increases libido, makes them stronger, men are (on the whole) more aggressive and stronger than women. Is there a link? This predominantly male hormone changes both your psychology and your physiology. Is it possible that there are other things that are different that might also change psychology and/or physiology?

The key is that all people (men and women) should be born with an equal chance to do whatever they want and their opportunities should not be limited by their gender, only by their suitability for the role (i.e. a stronger woman makes a better weight lifter than a weaker man, a cleverer man a better teacher than a less intelligent woman). That is not to say that women and men won't, can't, or shouldn't be allowed to still make different choices based on the simple fact that men and women ARE different, inherently. You will never achieve full equality by all measures because women and men are different, have different strengths, and will make different choices. Our aim should be to stop culture saying women should do this, and men shouldn't do that, but to accept that there might still be difference.

If you don't understand that then more simply put - the aim is equality of oppurtunity, NOT equality of outcome/choices. Th

Ok so please explain to be the mental differences between male and female that are natural at birth? No I am not saying mentally men and woman are all born exactly the same, because yes you can tell the difference between a male and female brain, but beyond hormonal functions can you please tell me what makes a male so naturally more likely to be a banker/builder/engineer? And not a female?

What makes a boy more naturally to like trucks and diggers and building than a female? Why can't a boy like baking and dressing dolls?

What is natural about those aspects that generate the sexism and the stereotype that is actually causing myself and other people daily judgements based on the way we dress, act and what careers we choose?

Explain to me how that is natural?

I agree in most of those respects, they have been scientifically proven and argued many of the points you make - however that does not make men or woman more mentally incapable of certainsubjects or mental activities. I have had and have an testosterone imbalance and I have been told that may lead to more aggression (so far so good) by a doctor. I am not a complete idiot, I am just saying nurtured traits and hormones aren't reasons why a woman likes less physical work or english than a man does. Or that woman are always more emotional than men. These are constructed. I am not
denying any physical differences, I understand how for instance
Oxytocin works during pregnancy for instance but they still find more out about the hormones and its effects.

Given the fact that many women do pursue a career in banking, you would be foolish to think so.

Congratulations?

Don't teach it - rather anti-teach it. If a child never experiences sexism, they'll not be sexist.

Give a female or male eithe oxytocin or vasopressin then the change in behaviour this causes and the change in brain activity are markedly different.

SAME HORMONE, DIFFERENT RESPONSE = Different brain

You can't say 'aside from hormones' because hormones are, largely, what drive sex differences in utero, and cause the sex differences in structure.

It is my understanding that these are mostly (unhelpful) learned cultural norms, i.e. environmental rather than biological.

It's cognition, not things that people like, that is subtly different (as a massive generalisation) - things that (from my memory, when I did this research for my 1st degree a few years ago) have been shown to be different are --> aggression, drive, co-operation in certain tasks, a huge number of factors surrounding libido/being turned on or off, spatial reasoning and verbal reasoning, functionality of sight, hand-eye co-ordination, reaction to babies.

Thats not to say all women are less aggressive and have worse spatial reasoning and better verbal reasoning. So all women (and men) should be given all oppurtunities, and who gets those oppurtunities should be based (ideally) on aptitude, regardless of gender.

It's a very natural part of any society (human or otherwise) to ostracize those who are different, or risk upsetting the stable society in some way. Not helpful, and you'd hope that we could do something about it, but still, very natural.

But they will experience it. It's the norm in our society.

The problem with feminism at its crux.

"Don't dare suggest guys are under-supported or the feminists will get offended and pissed off"

This is true, and was my first thoughts. But if things remain the way they are now, many women (and some men) will experience sexism. In the workplace especially. I still can't understand why women are so underrepresented in so many jobs. Maybe we've still got a gen to go through before people start seeing women with as much capability as men.

A 60:40 split? In a country where women outnumber men? And sadly that sort of thing is far from uncommon. In most cases it's even more unequal.

Being more informed on the subject is hardly going to hinder children.

Yes, but not in school. Children should always be taught with the attitude that everyone is equal. Being a large part of their lives, one can only hope this'll be enough.

Maybe men, on average are just better at these jobs. If I flipped a coin 10 times and got heads 6 and tails 4, it doesn't mean the coin is rigged.

I'm not convinced those scenarios are comparable...

Why? you are expecting the law of probability to be exact.

No, I'm saying you can't compare flipping a coin, which is totally down to chance, 10 times, to employment, which is largely not down to chance, on a massive scale.

That doesn't explain why you still think that there would be equal results or do you think employers should be forced to hire an even number of males and females regardless of ability.