Vive la Différence

Another blogger (a very good one) brought something to my attention and so I stole the idea to create this particular rant.

It started with this:
The Way We Talk About Gender Can Make a Big Difference

I thought this kind of thinking had been quashed when studies found that male and female brains are actually "wired" differently. Obviously, I was mistaken. Some people, however learned, refuse to accept any possibility that they can be wrong in how they think about culture. I recall an old Time magazine article that brought out similar points about inherent gender differences back when American society was trying to create a genderless culture. Do you remember those days? As we began to integrate, gender-wise, fire departments, police departments, and the military?

The evidence suggests there are reasons why society developed gender stereotypes... these stereotypes aid in developing societies by a subtle kind of cultural assignment.

Recently, Sheryl Sandberg (she's the new CEO of Facebook) has launched a campaign which seems to be fizzling. At least, it should be fizzling. She wanted to "ban the word 'bossy'." It seems she thinks that word, used almost exclusively on girls with take charge attitudes (think "Lucy Van Pelt" of Peanuts) hampers girls on their way to adulthood, destroys their self-esteem, and impedes their ability to become leaders.

I think she's not only wrong, she's dangerously wrong. I believe that society adapted to the general behavior of males and females, not created them.

Two things reinforce this:

1. Sheryl Sandberg proved, by her own story, that being called "bossy" as a child just made her more determined to succeed... and drove her to success.

2. Men and women's brains are 'wired differently'

This is not to say that women should not head up corporations or that all women are inferior to all men. And it's not to say that stereotypes are always correct. It's just to say that people who want the world to denounce what made them what they are are quite conflicted, as I see it. I could go on (and will... in other posts) about how I view society and culture in terms of race, gender, and so on but I am trying to keep this short.