Sexism

There are biological differences between genders. This is clear to just about everyone, but the nature and degree of these differences is still much lesser understood. The perception of these discrepancies has changed over the years to be sure, but sexism is long from dead and I believe that psychology has a role in dismantling it. Understanding that there is difference but that does not denote capability is paramount in overcoming sexism. Normative psychology can allow us to find the ways in which genders overlap and deviate, as well as demonstrating that those are generalizations. Steven Pinker identifies six gender differences and what that helps us see clearly is how parallel and complimentary they are; for example in mathematics women are better at calculations and men reasoning. Firstly that means that no one gender is better at math, and secondly that as both are essential components in maths both sex should be represented. These are the types of findings we need to discredit sexist thought and belief. That brings us to the causal aspect of why people are sexist to begin with. Here I tend to take a more social constructivist view, but that is another interesting area of study, surely from a psychoanalytic perspective becoming much more interested in individuals relationships to their mother, and women in general ext. To my mind, there is no doubt this is a psychological question, with some profound consequences.