Monday, October 11, 2010

Gender Stereotypes Supported by Science?

I found this article on the blog cracked.com that argued that gender stereotypes we usually think of as "absurd" are actually true and supported by scientific studies. These myths include

women talk too much:

men are slobs:


women can't drive


According to the post, these gender based stereotypes can be proven by scientific studies. For example the post says that women do talk more than men do, based on the fact that "The areas of the brain responsible for language are over 17 percent larger in women than men." I was a bit reluctant to believe the claims made, because it is obvious that this is a comedy web site, but they do have the studies to prove their statements. I'm still a bit weary, but this has certainly made me think about gender stereotypes and if they hold any merit.

1 comment:

  1. Well, all "stereotypes" usually stem from some sort of truth. For example, in classical signing the arrangements are based on the stereotypical vocal character of genders. Not every man has a low, resonate voice, and not every woman is a high soprano, but in traditional vocal music guys usually sing about tough, scary things and girls sing about birds and such. Yes, I suppose it's sexist, but it complements the general voice types of men and women - physically women can't sing base .
    The problematic aspects come from over generalizing and trying to apply overblown stereotypes to each and every person who fits the group mold. I found a great article that talks about the overlooked merits of stereotyping: http://www.globalpolitician.com/2509-stereotype

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