The differentiation of genders is maintained through systematic oppression. Oppression occurs at a micro and macro scale, from workplace discrimination in the US to mass murder in Pakistan. Cordelia Fine, in her book Delusions of gender : How Our Minds, Society, and Neurosexism Create Difference, points out the blatant sexism that exists within the field of neuroscience. She dissects the words of Thomas Gisborne, who argues that fields relating to science, law, and business should be reserved for men, and that the talents of a woman lies elsewhere:
‘The superiority of the female mind is unrivalled’, enjoying ‘powers adapted to unbend the brow of the learned, to refresh the over-laboured faculties of the wise, and to diffuse, throughout the …show more content…
They are discouraged from pursuing their interests and utilizing their full potential in order to conform to societal expectations. Such irrational statements are justified through a variety of different ways. One of these ways is through science because scientific evidence is perceived as credible and true. The majority of research regarding the differences between male and female brain structure exists to reinforce sexist ideas and male supremacy. An experiment performed by Angelica Moè asked three groups of people to perform a test on spatial reasoning. The first group is told that men typically perform better than women, the second group is told nothing, while the third group is told that women perform better than men. For groups one and two, men outperformed women by the usual margin. In the third group, however, women performed just as well as men (Fine 36). Such results show just how malleable the brain really is. When put in the context of everyday life, where people are exposed to gender associations all the time, it becomes clear why there is such a divide in male and female behavior. It is no coincidence that jobs requiring analysis, systemizing, and other characteristics associated with masculinity pays far better than jobs
‘The superiority of the female mind is unrivalled’, enjoying ‘powers adapted to unbend the brow of the learned, to refresh the over-laboured faculties of the wise, and to diffuse, throughout the …show more content…
They are discouraged from pursuing their interests and utilizing their full potential in order to conform to societal expectations. Such irrational statements are justified through a variety of different ways. One of these ways is through science because scientific evidence is perceived as credible and true. The majority of research regarding the differences between male and female brain structure exists to reinforce sexist ideas and male supremacy. An experiment performed by Angelica Moè asked three groups of people to perform a test on spatial reasoning. The first group is told that men typically perform better than women, the second group is told nothing, while the third group is told that women perform better than men. For groups one and two, men outperformed women by the usual margin. In the third group, however, women performed just as well as men (Fine 36). Such results show just how malleable the brain really is. When put in the context of everyday life, where people are exposed to gender associations all the time, it becomes clear why there is such a divide in male and female behavior. It is no coincidence that jobs requiring analysis, systemizing, and other characteristics associated with masculinity pays far better than jobs