.
Root causes of the differences between men and women
Research suggests that men’s and women’s brains are built differently, which may be a root cause of some of the different characteristics that we associate with men and women [5]. Men’s left and right brain hemispheres are connected by fewer neurons than are women’s, and men’s brains tend to be more “compartmentalized” while women’s are more “networked.” Researchers hypothesize that this may be the reason why women are better at verbal disciplines, while men excel at spatial tasks.
Hormonal differences also have been shown to drive behavioral characteristics. Researchers studied girls who, while in the womb, were exposed to high levels of testosterone — a hormone found in both girls and boys, but in much higher levels in males. These girls exhibited many of the behaviors commonly associated with boys, such as greater aggression, engaging in more “rough-and-tumble” play, and preferring mechanical toys, such as trucks and building materials, over dolls and crafts — the typical choice for girls [6].
Other studies of adult women with higher testosterone levels found that these women exhibited more stereotypically masculine characteristics such as being more assertive and career oriented, having a higher self-regard, greater interest in casual sex, and superior spatial skills [7].
The fact that men and women are hard-wired differently would explain why masculine and feminine characteristics appear universally throughout history and around the globe. But this concept doesn’t fit in with feminist dogma, which is why it remains so controversial.
Why sex differences matter
Feminists have a vision: To see men and women represented equally in all disciplines and in all walks of life. They lament that women still assume disproportionate responsibility for housework and childcare, have lower levels of achievement in business and politics, and gravitate away from disciplines like math and science.
What’s the cause of women’s lack of progress in these areas?
According to the feminists, society and the discriminatory, sexist attitudes that lurk among us are to blame.
If you accept these assumptions, then something can — and indeed should — be done. So long as society is at fault, then the feminist vision can theoretically become reality by changing public education, creating government-subsidized daycare, encouraging more mothers to leave their children for the workforce, and many other measures that change society.
If, however, men and women’s differences are not social constructs — if they are instead the product of innate, biological differences — then no amount of government intervention will create the feminist utopia. Indeed, if gender differences are natural, then the feminist idea of progress isn’t progress at all, and their agenda makes men and women worse off by driving them away from their true preferences in pursuit of a feminist fantasy.
The weight of scientific research — and simple observation — leads to the politically incorrect conclusion that gender is not a social construct. Undoubtedly, socialization plays a role in shaping our behavior; but sex differences strongly influence who we are as humans. Among other things, this means that women and men will have dissimilar preferences and reactions in many situations — an important consideration when we examine how the feminist vision for our country often stands in opposition to women’s instincts and expressed interests.
[5] Steven E. Rhoads, Taking Sex Differences Seriously, San Francisco, Encounter Books, 2004, pg 27-28.
[6] Ibid., page 29.
[7] Ibid., page 31.
Carrie L. Lukas
“Chapter One: The Difference Between Boys and Girls”
The Politically Incorrect Guide to Women, Sex, and Feminism
